By Santhosh V. Perumal/Business Reporter

Foreign institutions’ buying interests kept up the strong bullish momentum in the Qatar Stock Exchange for the second day on Monday on the back of small and large cap equities and its key index gained more than 128 points to inch near the 12,200 level.

Buying was more pronounced in the transport, industrials and banking counters as the 20-stock Qatar Index surged another 1.06% to 12,176.49 points and capitalisation gained another QR7bn.

Amidst the overall bullish sentiments, local retail and institutions were profusely into profit booking mode in the bourse, which is, however, down 0.89% year-to-date.

Trading was largely skewed towards realty, banking and telecom sectors, whose stocks together accounted for more than 83% of the overall volume.

Market capitalisation expanded 1.07% to QR649.46bn with small, large, micro and mid cap equities gaining 1.94%, 1.52%, 0.63% and 0.41% respectively.

The Total Return Index rose 1.06% to 18,922.89 points, All Share Index by 1.05% to 3,253.52 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.05% to 4,648.17 points.

Transport stocks appreciated 1.7%, industrials (1.51%), banks and financial services (1.46%), consumer goods (0.61%), real estate (0.52%) and telecom (0.3%); whereas insurance fell 1.75%.

More than 71% of the traded stocks extended gains to investors with major movers being QNB, Industries Qatar, Nakilat, Qatari Investors Group, Aamal Company, Commercial Bank, al khaliji, Dlala, Islamic Holding Group, Ooredoo, United Development Company, Barwa and Mazaya Qatar.

However, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices and Al Meera Consumer Goods were seen bucking the trend.

Non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR111.83mn against net sellers of QR22.24mn on May 31.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions were also net buyers to the extent of QR0.72mn compared with net sellers of QR13.65mn on Sunday.

The GCC individual investors’ net profit booking weakened to QR4.64mn against QR6.26mn the previous day.

However, local retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR23.76mn compared with net buyers of QR45.86mn on May 31.

Domestic institutions’ net profit booking strengthened to QR76.87mn against QR18.36mn on Sunday.

Non-Qatari individual investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR2.29mn compared with net buyers of QR14.59mn the previous day.

Total trade volume was down 5% to 15.54mn shares, while value rose 17% to QR602.88mn and deals by 9% to 6,389.

The market witnessed 37% plunge in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.38mn equities, 17% in value to QR26.12mn and 12% in transactions to 352.

The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 19% to 2.32mn stocks, value by 32% to QR49.5mn and deals by 26% to 1,113.

There was 12% shrinkage in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.52mn shares and 12% in value to QR50.88mn but on 2% rise in transactions to 207.

The real estate sector’s trade volume declined 5% to 8.06mn equities, while value gained 43% QR231.68mn. Deals fell 11% to 1,566.

There was 1% fall in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 1.39mn stocks but value expanded 51% to QR84.12mn and transactions by 31% to 1,228.

However, the transport sector’s trade volume almost tripled to 0.33mn shares and value more than doubled to QR10.91mn on more than doubled deals to 238.

The banks and financial services sector reported 12% surge in trade volume to 2.53mn equities, 13% in value to QR149.67mn and 77% in transactions to 1,685.

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