Santhosh V. Perumal/Business Reporter

Large buying interests in real estate and consumer goods were contained to a great extent by selling pressure in the transport and telecom counters that the Qatar Stock Exchange closed mere 15 points higher on Sunday.
Foreign institutions’ net buying, coupled with lower selling from their domestic counterparts, helped the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) gain 0.11% to 13,744.8 points.
Large cap equities witnessed some buying interests in the market, which were however up 32.42% year-to-date.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stock was seen gaining much faster than the other indices in the bourse, where realty, banks and industrials together accounted for about 72% of the total trading volume.
The Total Return Index was up 0.11% to 20,500.24 points, All Share Index by 0.16% to 3,482.61 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.48% to 4,661.43 points.
Market capitalisation rose 0.2% or more than QR1bn to QR743.92bn with large cap equities gaining 0.28%; even as small, micro and mid caps were down 0.37%, 0.21% and 0.06% respectively.
Realty and consumer goods stocks appreciated 0.85% each; industrials (0.16%) and banks and financial services (0.14%); whereas transport shrank 1.27%, telecom (0.91%) and insurance (0.03%).
More than 53% of the traded stocks extended gains to investors with major movers being QNB, Industries Qatar, Barwa, Islamic Holding Group, Al Meera and Al Khaleej Takaful;
However, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat, Gulf International Services, Mazaya Qatar, United Development Company, Gulf Warehousing, Dlala and Qatari Investors Group bucked the trend.
Foreign institutions’ net buying rose to QR31.65% against QR25.32mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR3.96mn compared with net profit takers of QR0.53mn last Thursday.
However, Qatari retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR21.98mn against net buyers of QR7.86mn on November 13.
Domestic institutions’ net selling plunged to QR13.69mn compared to QR32.85mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volume was down 9% to 10.09mn shares, value by 6% to QR627.95mn and transactions by 2% to 6,204.
The transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 63% to 0.68mn equities, value by 69% to QR33.65mn and deals by 36% to 391.
The banks and financial services sector reported 30% plunge in trade volume to 1.65mn stocks, 20% in value to QR170.98mn and 30% in transactions to 1,307.
The telecom sector’s trade volume tanked 15% to 0.82mn shares, value by 48% to QR15.97mn and deals by 24% to 304.
The insurance sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.35mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR20.36mn on 41% jump in transactions to 203.
The industrials sector’s trade volume expanded 22% to 1.35mn stocks; while value fell 1% to QR110.42mn. Deals rose 39% to 1,910.
The market witnessed 14% surge in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 4.24mn stocks and 30% in value to QR154.82mn but on 2% fall in transactions to 1,333.
The consumer goods sector saw its trade gain 9% to 1.01mn equities, value by 61% to QR121.86mn and deals by 23% to 756.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.