QSE edges higher on foreign funds’ buying interests

Buying interests, especially in the transport, industrials and insurance counters, yesterday lifted the Qatar Stock Exchange by 35 points.The foreign institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.25% higher at 14,051.45 points, although it touched an intraday high of 14,067 points.The Islamic index was seen making marginal decline vis-à-vis gains in the other indices in the market, whose year-to-date gains were at 20.86%.The Gulf funds were seen bullish in the bourse, whose capitalisation saw about QR3bn or 0.34% increase to QR781.04bn, mainly on the back of midcap and small segments.Both foreign and Gulf individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the market, where the industrials, banking and consumer goods sectors together accounted for about 85% of the trading volume.However, the domestic funds were increasingly net profit takers in the bourse, which saw a total of 351,166 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan) valued at QR1.3mn changed hands across 45 deals.The local retail investors were also increasingly net sellers in the bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.Total trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes in the market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.28% to 28,676.36 points and the All Share Index by 0.35% to 4,472.03points, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was down 0.01% to 3,019 points.The transport sector index shot up 1.62%, industrials (0.55%), insurance (0.36%) and banks and financial services (0.29%); while telecom shrank 0.48%, real estate (0.23%) and consumer goods and services (0.16%).Major gainers in the main market included Inma Holding, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Milaha, QNB, Commercial Bank, Qatar First Bank, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Investment Holding Group, Doha Insurance and Nakilat. In the venture market, Mekdam Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Widam Food, Baladna, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, QIIB, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar Islamic Insurance and QLM were among the losers in the main market. In the juniour bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign funds’ net buying increased substantially to QR101.69mn compared to QR46.3mn on April 20.The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR25.23mn against net sellers of QR2.18mn on Wednesday.However, the domestic funds’ net selling grew substantially to QR96.74mn compared to QR34.67mn the previous day.Qatari individuals’ net selling strengthened perceptibly to QR29.11mn against QR21.01mn on April 20.The Arab individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR1.7mn compared with net buyers of QR2.42mn on Wednesday.The foreign individuals’ net buying declined markedly to QR0.22mn against QR7.09mn the previous day.The Gulf individuals’ net buying eased notably to QR0.42mn compared to QR2.05mn on April 20.The Arab institutions continued to have no major net exposure for the second straight session.Total trade volume in the main market fell 1% to 183.45mn shares, while value rose 6% to QR722.09mn amidst 25% lower transactions at 13,825.The real estate sector’s trade volume plummeted 57% to 12.82mn equities, value by 40% to QR20.32mn and deals by 1% to 812.The banks and financial services sector reported a 24% plunge in trade volume to 42mn stocks, 14% in value to QR307.74mn and 37% in transactions to 6,065.However, the telecom sector’s trade volume soared 54% to 6.24mn shares, while value shrank 19% to QR14.09mn and deals by 64% to 278.The market witnessed a 47% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 73.18mn equities and 56% in value to QR270.59mn but on 3% contraction in transactions to 4,146.The transport sector’s trade volume zoomed 13% to 6.19mn stocks, value by 36% to QR33.38mn and deals by 6% to 965.There was a 7% jump in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 2.85mn shares, 25% in value to QR10.62mn and 56% in transactions to 264.The consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume was up 6% to 40.17mn equities, whereas value eased 4% to QR65.36mn and deals by 32% to 1,295.The venture market reported a 25% shrinkage in trade volumes to 0.06mn stocks, 25% in value to QR0.45mn and 25.58% in transactions to 32.