The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened 2021 on a flat note amidst buying interests in consumer goods, real estate and banking counters.
Domestic institutions and local retail investors were net buyers, albeit at lower levels, as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled marginally 0.01% higher at 10,437.5 points; even as foreign institutions considerably pared their lower.
Although decliners outnumbered gainers, there was an overall marginal bullish momentum in the market, whose capitalisation was up QR52mn or 0.09% to QR602.72bn, mainly on microcap segments.
The market had closed marginally up in 2020 although investors’ made robust double-digit gains, especially in the transport, real estate and telecom sectors; even as expectations are high this year considering that private sector ought to benefit from the identified new projects valued at QR54bn in the medium term.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where the realty, consumer goods and banking sectors together accounted for more than 81% of the total trading volume.
Islamic equities were seen gaining faster than the other indices in the market, which saw four of the seven sector reel under profit booking.
A total of 29,563 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan sponsored QATR and Doha Bank sponsored QETF) valued at QR236,421 changed hands across six deals; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The Total Return Index was up 0.01% to 20,065.75 points, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.1% to 2,395.69 points and All Share Index by 0.02% to 3,200.17 points.
The consumer goods and services gained 0.6%, real estate (0.32%) and banks and financial services (0.15%); while telecom tanked 1.16%, insurance (0.85%), transport (0.41%) and industrials (0.16%).
Major gainers included Woqod, al khaliji, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan, Alijarah Holding and QNB; even as Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Ooredoo, Gulf International Services, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Milaha, Inma Holding, Mannai Corporation, Baladna and Commercial Bank were among the losers.
The domestic funds and local retail investors were net buyers to the tune of QR7.13mn and QR4.22mn.
In the case of the Gulf individuals and institutions, both of them were net sellers to the extent of QR0.16mn and QR4.83mn.
The Arab retail investors and fund were also net sellers to the tune of QR1.57mn and QR3.58mn.
In the case of foreign individuals and institutions, both of them were also net profit takers to the extent of QR0.64mn and QR0.59mn.
A total of 95.29mn shares valued at QR141.55mn changes hands across 3,119 transactions with the realty sector alone witnessing 34.88mn equities worth QR47.13mn trade across 657 deals.
The banks and financial services sector saw 20.03mn stocks valued at QR43.28mn change hands across 936 transactions; while in the case of consumer goods and services, a total of 22.3mn shares worth QR24.49mn trade across 637 deals.
The industrials sector witnessed as many as 13.7mn equities valued at QR14.03mn change hands across 555 transactions. There were a total of 2.94mn insurance stocks worth QR6.77mn trade across 133 deals.
In the case of telecom, the sectors saw as many as 1.04mn shares valued at QR4.48mn change hands across 120 transactions; while there were a total of 0.4mn transport equities worth QR1.36mn trade across 81 deals.
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