Domestic funds were increasingly net buyers and local retail investors turned bullish on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which otherwise fell 111 points to settle at sub-10,300 levels.

An across-the-board selling – particularly within insurance, consumer goods, industrials and transport – dragged the 20-stock Qatar Index 1.07% lower at 10,251.52 points.

Foreign institutions’ net profit booking substantially increased in the market, which is down 1.67% year-to-date.

Market capitalisation saw about QR6bn, or about 1% fall, to QR570.69bn mainly owing to large and midcap segments.

Islamic stocks were seen declining faster than the main index indices in the bourse, where the Gulf individuals were also increasingly net sellers.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the bourse, where the banking and industrials sectors alone accounted for more than 64% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index fell 1.07% to 18,863.66 points, the All Share Index by 1% to 3,049.33 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1% to 2,255.8 points.

The insurance index tanked 1.96%, consumer goods (1.4%), industrials (1.31%), transport (1.22%), real estate (1.07%), telecom (0.96%) and banks and financial services (0.75%).

About 87% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Al Khaleej Takaful, Ooredoo, Nakilat, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, QIIB, Salam International Investment and Medicare Group; even as Mannai Corporation, Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Insurance were among the gainers.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR42.71mn against QR0.63mn on February 2.

The Gulf individuals’ net selling increased noticeably to QR2.75mn compared to QR0.53mn the previous day.

However, domestic funds’ net buying shot up considerably to QR36.63mn against QR10.02mn on Sunday.

Local retail investors were net buyers to the tune of QR7.02mn compared with net sellers of QR5mn on February 2.

Non-Qatari individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR2.78mn against net profit takers of QR0.08mn the previous day.

The Gulf institutions’ net selling weakened perceptibly to QR0.97mn compared to QR3.79mn on Sunday.

Total trade volumes grew 52% to 103.09mn shares and value more than doubled to QR302.49mn on more-than-doubled transactions to 7,722.

The industrials sector’s trade volume almost tripled to 21.75mn equities and value more than doubled to QR47.59mn on more-than-tripled deals to 1,804.

The insurance sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 5.07mn stocks and value also more than doubled to QR13.71mn on almost-quadrupled transactions to 497.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 44.59mn shares and value more than quadrupled to QR192.33mn on more-than-tripled deals to 3,579.

The transport sector reported a 60% surge in trade volume to 3.64mn equities, 51% in value to QR8.65mn and 16% in transactions to 191.

However, the consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 21% to 7.15mn stocks and value by 12% to QR13.96mn, whereas deals grew 25% to 589.

The real estate sector saw a 20% plunge in trade volume to 16.97mn shares and 14% in value to QR15.69mn but on a 19% jump in transactions to 489.

The telecom sector’s trade volume was down 3% to 3.91mn equities, while value soared 55% to QR10.55mn on more than tripled deals to 573.

In the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.