Qatar Stock Exchange was back in the negative turf as its key index lost 133 points; thus failing to break the 8,900 resistance level.

An across the board selling – particularly in the insurance, telecom, real estate, transport and consumer goods sectors – led the 20-stock Qatar Index shrank 1.48% to 8,848.86 points.

Lower buying interests from local and non-Qatari retail investors as well as Gulf institutions were instrumental in dragging the market, where trading turnover and volumes were on the decline.

Gulf individual investors also turned bearish in the bourse, which is down 15.15% year-to-date.

The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen melting faster than the other indices in the market, where the banking, realty and industrials sectors together accounted for more than 82% of the total trading volume.

Market capitalisation eroded 1.16% or about QR6bn to QR471.91bn with small, mid, micro and large cap equities melting 3.54%, 2.53%, 0.69% and 0.44% respectively.

The Total Return Index shrank 1.48% to 13,754.28 points, All Share Index by 1.52% to 2,352.21 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.87% to 3,149.55 points.

Insurance stocks tanked 4.01%, telecom (3.13%), real estate (3.05%), transport (2.93%), consumer goods (1.78%), industrials (0.68%) and banks and financial services (0.51%).

As much as 80% of the stocks were in the red with major shakers being Qatar Insurance, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Barwa, Ezdan, Qatari Investors Group, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Gulf International Services, United Development Company, Nakilat, Milaha, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, al khaliji and Masraf Al Rayan; even Industries Qatar, QNB and Alijarah Holding bucked the trend.

Local retail investors’ net buying declined to QR4.61mn compared to QR16.81mn the previous day.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net buying sunk to QR1.71mn against QR10.29mn on January 24.

Non-Qatari individual investors’ net buying also shrank to QR1.36mn compared to QR5.96mn on Sunday.

The GCC individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.95mn against net buyers of QR1.44mn the previous day.

However, non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the extent of QR12.67mn compared with net sellers of QR0.44mn on January 24.

Domestic institutions’ net profit booking plunged to QR16.38mn against QR34.12mn on Sunday.

Total trade volume fell 34% to 6.8mn shares, value by 14% to QR237.8mn and deals by 24% to 3,810.

There was 66% plunge in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.39mn equities, 64% in value to QR10.52mn and 55% in transactions to 291.

The transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 59% to 0.18mn stocks, value by 57% to QR4.11mn and deals by 27% to 130.

The market witnessed 57% shrinkage in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 0.6mn shares, 58% in value to QR11.09mn and 39% in transactions to 464.

The real estate sector’s trade volume tanked 45% to 1.7mn equities, value by 40% to QR30.35mn and deals by 27% to 691.

The industrials sector saw 13% decline in trade volume to 1.51mn stocks, 9% in value to QR68.8mn and 13% in transactions to 948.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume was down 2% to 2.39mn shares but value soared 31% to QR110.54mn. Deals fell 3% to 1,256.

Although the insurance sector’s trade volume was flat at 0.03mn equities; there was a 30% increase in value to QR2.4mn. Transactions sunk 57% to 30.

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