The increased buying support from the local retail investors Tuesday led the Qatar Stock Exchange inch near the 10,400 levels on across-the- board buying interests.
The telecom, insurance and real estate counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 21 points or 0.2% higher at 10,394.92 points, recovering from an intraday low of 10,346 points.
The foreign funds were seen bullish in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses were trimmed to 0.39%.
The Islamic index was seen gaining faster than the other indices in the market whose capitalisation saw about QR2bn or 0.27% increase to QR606.32bn, mainly owing to midcap segments.
More than 58% of the traded constituents extended gains in the bourse, where the industrials and consumer goods and services sectors together accounted for about three-fourth of the total trading volume.
A total of 12,810 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored QATR and Doha Bank-sponsored QETF) valued at QR77,836 changed hands across five deals; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The Total Return Index rose 0.2% to 20,569.28 points, the All Share Index by 0.24% to 3,313.63 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.5% to 2,405.55 points.
The telecom sector index gained 0.86%, insurance (0.79%), realty (0.7%), industrials (0.24%), transport (0.19%), banks and financial services (0.16%) and consumer goods and services (0.07%).
Major movers included Qatari Investors Group, Investment Holding Group, Qamco, Vodafone Qatar, Ezdan, Qatar Insurance, Qatar Oman Investment, Al Khaleej Takaful and United Development Company.
Nevertheless, Zad Holding, Qatar Islamic Insurance, QLM, Inma Holding, Qatari German Medical Devices, Salam International Investment and Mannai Corporation were in the red.
The local retail investors’ net buying increased substantially to QR36.69mn against QR1.33mn on April 5.
The foreign funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.82mn compared with net sellers of QR15.52mn on Monday.
However, the domestic funds’ net selling grew considerably to QR26.53mn against QR4.51mn the previous day.
The Gulf individuals’ net profit booking grew markedly to QR8.24mn compared to QR7.07mn on April 5.
The foreign individuals’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR3.08mn against QR0.51mn on Monday.
The Arab individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR2.61mn compared with net buyers of QR14.6mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions were also net sellers to the tune of QR1.04mn against net buyers of QR11.73mn on April 5.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure compared with net profit takers of QR0.04mn on Monday.
Total trade volume grew 6% to 428.5mn shares, value by 13% to QR580.53mn and transactions by 14% to 10,102.
The real estate sector’s trade volume almost quadrupled to 52.65mn equities and value also almost quadrupled to QR79.12mn on more than doubled deals to 1,435.
The transport sector’s trade volume soared 77% to 3.04mn stocks and value almost doubled to QR12.27mn on more-than-doubled transactions to 403.
There was a 27% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 200.1mn shares, 44% in value to QR231.53mn and 47% in deals to 3,640.
The insurance sector’s trade volume was up 5% to 5.38mn equities, while value declined 21% to QR18.08mn despite 30% higher transactions at 496.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 4% jump in trade volume to 27.06mn stocks, 23% in value to QR77.14mn and 16% in deals to 1,641.
However, the consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume plummeted 31% to 120.45mn shares, value by 35% to QR122.64mn and transactions by 40% to 1,977.
The market witnessed a 26% plunge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 19.83mn equities, 20% in value to QR39.75mn and 8% in deals to 510.
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