By Santhosh V Perumal/Business Reporter

Qatar Exchange yesterday opened the week on a stronger note, lifted by telecom, consumer goods, banks and industrials equities.
Foreign institutions’ selling pressure considerably weakened while domestic institutions’ buying was intact as the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) rose 0.18% to 9,669.69 points.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks were, however, seen to perform poor compared to other indices in the market, which is up 17.34% year-to-date.
The overall market liquidity was down mainly due to faster slippage in volumes in the transport and banking sectors.
Gainers included Barwa, QNB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank and Qatari Investors Group; even as Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, United Development Company, Ezdan and Vodafone Qatar bucked the trend.
The 20-stock Total Return Index also gained 0.18% to 13,815.77 points, All Share Index (with wider constituents) by 0.24% to 2,428.81 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.08% to 2,783.59 points. All the three indices factored in dividend income as well.
Telecom stocks appreciated 0.56%, consumer goods (0.42%), banks and financial services (0.3%), industrials (0.27%) and realty (0.13%), whereas insurance and transport fell 0.83% and 0.06% respectively.
Total market capitalisation was up 0.21% or more than QR1bn to QR523.60bn. Micro, mid and large cap equities were on the rise; while small caps were seen losing value.
Foreign institutions turned bullish that they were net buyers to the tune of QR12.78mn against net sellers of QR4.82mn last Thursday.
Domestic institutions were bearish as their net selling was QR5.14mn compared to QR5.38mn on October 24.
However, non-Qatari individuals remained profit takers that they were net sellers to the extent of QR4.75mn against net buyers of QR13.78mn the previous trading day.
Qatari individual investors were bearish as they were net selling stood at QR13.17mn compared to QR14.39mn on October 24.
Total trading volume fell 5% to 4.01mn stocks, value by 39% to QR155.67mn and transactions by 34% to 1,831.
The transport sector’s trading volume plummeted 61% to 0.09mn stocks, value by 45% to QR4.05mn and deals by 40% to 96.
There was a 37% plunge in the banking sector’s trading volume to 0.89mn stocks, 49% in value to QR49.41mn and 34% in transactions to 590.
The industrials sector witnessed its trading volume shrink 17% to 0.5mn shares, value by 45% to QR40.2mn and deals by 38% to 403.
The consumer goods sector’s trading volume tanked 10% to 0.85mn stocks, value by 58% to QR19.51mn and transactions by 60% to 240.
Although the insurance sector’s trading volume was unchanged at 0.16mn stocks, value fell 15% to QR7.18mn and deals by 26% to 90.
There was a 80% surge in telecom sector’s trading volume to 0.18mn shares, while value declined 21% to QR3.02mn and transactions by 35% to 57.
The real estate sector saw a 72% expansion in trading volume to 1.34mn shares, 91% in value to QR32.30mn and 44% in deals to 355.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and bonds.