The Qatar Stock Exchange on Wednesday trode a flat path although four of the seven sectors experienced strong buying interests.

The telecom, real estate and banking counters witnessed selling pressure as the 20-stock index settled 0.04% lower at 10,336.68 points.

Local and non-Qatari retail investors were increasingly into profit booking in the market, whose key benchmark is up 0.37% year-to-date.

Market capitalisation saw mere QR8mn, or 0.01%, addition to QR570.11bn mainly owing to microcap segments.

Islamic equities were seen declining faster than the other indices in the market, where foreign institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity.

Trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes in the bourse, where banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 71% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index was down 0.04% to 19,020.37 points, the All Share Index by 0.02% to 3,048.55 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.1% to 2,322.82 points.

The telecom index declined 0.21%, realty (0.19%), and banks and financial services (0.12%); while transport gained 0.41%, insurance (0.31%), consumer goods (0.11%) and industrials (0.1%).

Major losers included QIIB, Qatar Electricity and Water, Qatar First Bank, Salam International Investment, Medicare Group, Al Khaleej Takaful, Barwa, Ezdan and Ooredoo; even as Industries Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Mazaya Qatar, United Development Company, Gulf Warehousing, Nakilat, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices were among the gainers.

Local retail investors’ net profit booking grew perceptibly to QR5.19mn compared to QR2.88mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari individuals’ net selling also increased noticeably to QR1.39mn against QR0.14mn on November 19.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying declined substantially to QR8.16mn compared to QR25.12mn on Tuesday.

However, the Gulf institutions’ net buying soared considerably to QR15.16mn against QR3.73mn the previous day.

Domestic funds’ net profit booking weakened significantly to QR16.53mn compared to QR24.47mn on November 19.

The Gulf individual investors’ net selling shrank perceptibly to QR0.21mn against QR1.36mn on Tuesday.

Total trade volume fell 10% to 51.5mn shares, while value grew 16% to QR236.11mn but on less than 1% lower transactions at 4,968.

The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 61% to 2.3mn equities, value by 25% to QR9.42mn and deals by 24% to 373.

The insurance sector saw a 46% plunge in trade volume to 0.84mn stocks, 51% in value to QR2.02mn and 27% in transactions to 105.

The consumer goods sector’s trade volume tanked 26% to 1.6mn shares, whereas value was up 6% to QR19.68mn despite 15% lower deals at 397.

There was an 18% shrinkage in the transport sector’s trade volume to 1.36mn equities and 4% in value to QR4.91mn but on flat transactions at 133.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume declined 14% to 23.88mn stocks, while value grew 21% to QR163.4mn and deals by 4% to 2,710.

However, the industrials’ sector reported a 42% surge in trade volume to 12.55mn shares, 51% in value to QR27.63mn and 9% in transactions to 971.

Although the real estate sector’s trade volume was flat at 8.98mn equities, value lost 4% to QR9.05mn but on 6% higher deals at 279.

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


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