Strong buying interests, especially in the banking and transport counters, on Tuesday lifted the Qatar Stock Exchange and its key barometer inched near the 10,400 levels.
Domestic institutions’ substantially weakened net selling and the increased net buying of the Gulf funds were instrumental in the 20-stock Qatar Index gain 0.56% to 10,381.3 points, having touched an intraday high of 10,397 points.
The foreign individuals were also seen bullish in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses were contained at 0.52%.
The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices in the market whose capitalisation saw more than QR3bn or 0.59% increase to QR604.74bn, mainly owing to midcap segments.
The Arab institutions were seen net buyers, albeit at lower levels, in the bourse, where the industrials, banking and consumer goods and services sectors together accounted for more than 84% of the total trading volume.
A total of 321,630 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan sponsored QATR and Doha Bank sponsored QETF) valued at QR1.83mn changed hands across 26 deals; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The Total Return Index rose 0.56% to 20,536.66 points, All Share Index by 0.61% to 3,301.48 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.48% to 2,392.01 points.
The banks and financial services index soared 0.97%, transport (0.81%), industrials (0.5%), insurance (0.36%) and real estate (0.15%); while telecom declined 1.49% and consumer goods and services (0.28%).
Major movers included Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf International Services, Qatar National Cement, al khaliji, QNB, Masraf Al Rayan, QLM, Ezdan and Milaha; even as Investment Holding Group, Qatari Investors Group, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Qatari German Medical Devices, Qatar First Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Al Meera, Vodafone Qatar and Ooredoo were among the losers.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased markedly to QR8.08mn compared to QR0.4mn the previous day.
The foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.44mn against net sellers of QR0.91mn on March 29.
The Arab funds were net buyers to the extent of QR0.01mn compared with no major net exposure on Monday.
The domestic funds’ net selling declined substantially to QR5.62mn against QR51.09mn the previous day.
However, the local retail investors’ net selling grew considerably to QR56.91mn compared to QR43.78mn on March 29.
The Gulf individuals’ net profit booking rose significantly to QR34.53mn against QR13.67mn on Monday.
The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the extent of QR5.33mn against net buyers of QR4.64mn the previous day.
The foreign institutions’ net buying weakened substantively to QR92.75mn compared to QR104.3mn on March 29.
Total trade volume grew 21% to 308.89mn shares, value by 19% to QR598.39mn and transactions by 6% to 12,414.
The insurance sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 11.27mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR36.72mn on almost doubled deals to 692.
The telecom sector reported 87% surge in trade volume to 8.62mn stocks and 35% in value to QR20.11mn but on 10% fall in transactions to 479.
The industrials sector’s trade volume soared 45% to 161.39mn shares, value by 27% to QR178.02mn and deals by 14% to 3,433.
The banks and financial services sector saw 32% expansion in trade volume to 51.26mn equities, 30% in value to QR211.04mn and 13% in transactions to 3,966.
The transport sector’s trade volume shot up 13% to 7.01mn stocks and value by 16% to QR27.69mn; whereas deals shrank 21% to 778.
However, there was 42% plunge in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 21.74mn shares, 35% in value to QR38.5mn and 28% in transactions to 1,041.
The consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume was down 9% to 47.61mn equities and value by 2% to QR86.31mn, while deals jumped 5% to 2,025.
