By Santhosh V. Perumal/Business Reporter

Qatar Stock Exchange on Tuesday gained for the second day 61 points to cross the 11,800 mark mainly on buying support from foreign institutions and local retail investors.
Led by industrials, consumer goods and realty sectors, the 20-stock Qatar Index rose another 0.52% to 11,811.56 points amid dampened overall trade volumes.
Five of the seven sectors extended buying support in the market, which is, however, down 3.86% year-to-date.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen gaining the fastest in the bourse, where trading was largely skewed towards the banking, real estate and industrials sectors, whose stocks together constituted about 84% of the overall trading volume.
Market capitalisation rose 0.39% or more than QR2bn to QR627.01bn with small and large cap equities gaining 0.9% and 0.42%; even as mid and micro caps fell 0.03% and 0.01% respectively.
The Total Return Index gained 0.52% to 18,359.37 points, All Share Index by 0.45% to 3,158.59 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.86% to 4,575.55 points.
Industrials stocks appreciated 1.34%, consumer goods (0.73%), realty (0.62%), transport (0.16%) and banks and financial services (0.07%); while telecom and insurance fell 0.63% and 0.14% respectively.
About 63% of the stocks extended gains with major movers being Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Mannai Corporation, Mazaya Qatar, United Development Company, Ezdan, Barwa, Widam Food, Doha Bank and Qatar Islamic Bank; whereas QNB, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Dlala bucked the trend.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying strengthened to QR23.63mn compared to QR19.02mn the previous day.
Local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.85mn against net sellers of QR10.52mn on Monday.
However, domestic institutions’ net profit booking soared to QR14.63mn compared to QR5.1mn on August 3.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions turned net sellers to the extent of QR5.74mn against net buyers of QR0.14mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net profit booking strengthened to QR3.13mn compared to QR2.97mn on Monday.
The GCC individual investors’ net selling was also seen rising to QR1.95mn against QR0.57mn on August 3.

Total trade volume fell 24% to 3.6mn shares, value by 18% to QR196.58mn and deals by 25% to 3,052.
The insurance sector saw 76% plunge in trade volume to 0.07mn equities, 75% in value to QR6.23mn and 76% in transactions to 80.
The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 37% to QR0.31mn stocks, value by 29% to QR7.7mn and deals by 22% to 218.
The banks and financial services sector reported 30% shrinkage in trade volume to 1.35mn shares, 27% in value to QR75.7mn and 26% in transactions to 1,021.
The real estate sector’s trade volume tanked 28% to 0.87mn equities, value by 39% to QR22.06mn and deals by 32% to 412.
There was 27% shrinkage in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.11mn stocks, 5% in value to QR10.45mn and 3% in transactions to 300.
However, the industrials sector’s trade volume expanded 45% to 0.8mn shares and value by 38% to QR67.82mn, while deals shrank 17% to 897.
Although the transport sector’s trade volume was flat at 0.09mn equities, there was 78% surge in value to QR6.62mn and 48% in transactions to 124.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.