An across the board selling – particularly in the real estate, telecom and consumer goods stocks –led Qatar Stock Exchange knock off 153 points to settle below the 10,000 mark and its capitalisation erode QR8bn.

Domestic institutions’ profit booking apparently dragged the 20-stock Qatar Index 1.52% to 9,939.03 points, reflecting the weak sentiments in the global energy market where prices fell owing to nagging excess supplies.

A marginal increase in net selling by local retail investors also played its part in the bourse, which is down 4.7% year-to-date.

Investors hurriedly offloaded micro, large and small cap equities in the market, where trading turnover was on the rise amidst fall in volumes.

However, foreign institutions turned bullish and there was also increase buying support from non-Qatari individual investors in the bourse, where banking, consumer goods and realty stocks together constituted more than 78% of the total trading volume.

The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen declining faster than the other indices in the market, where Gulf institutions’ net selling weakened.

Market capitalisation eroded 1.46% to QR536.44bn with micro, large, small and midcap equities declining 1.73%, 1.37%, 1.02% and 0.61% respectively.

The Total Return Index tanked 1.52% to 16,080.69 points, All Share Index by 1.46% to 2,777.18 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.79% to 3,879.75 points.

Real estate equities plunged 3.08%, telecom (1.96%), consumer goods (1.75%), industrials (1.4%), banks and financial services (0.97%), transport (0.77%) and insurance (0.2%).

About 81% of the stocks were in the red with major losers being QNB, Industries Qatar, Ezdan, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Aamal Company, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Widam Food and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices; even as Qatar Industrial Manufacturing and Ahli Bank bucked the trend.

Domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.75mn against net buyers of QR15.35mn on May 2.

Local retail investors’ net profit booking increased to QR4.32mn compared to QR3.09mn the previous day.

However, non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the extent of QR3.5mn against net sellers of QR1.64mn on Monday.

Non-Qatari individual investors’ net buying strengthened to QR9.16mn compared to QR1.88mn on May 2.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net selling declined to QR5.72mn against QR11.11mn the previous day.

The GCC individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.18mn compared with net sellers of QR1.4mn on Monday.

Total trade volume was down 4% to 8.97mn shares, while value rose 18% to QR317.93mn and deals by 5% to 4,811.

There was 46% plunge in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 1.2mn equities, 42% in value to Q24.53mn and 10% in transactions to 634.

The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 31% to 0.43mn stocks and value by 36% to QR11.22mn, while deals gained 32% to 513.

The market witnessed 25% shrinkage in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.06mn shares, 19% in value to QR4.74mn and 18% in transactions to 76.

The industrials sector’s trade volume tanked 23% to 1.06mn equities, value by 24% to QR42.17mn and deals by 10% to 788.

The transport sector reported 16% decline in trade volume to 0.41mn stocks and 3% in value to QR13.69mn but on 52% surge in transactions to 317.

However, the consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 1.82mn shares and value almost quadrupled to QR118.89mn on 27% expansion in deals to 582.

The banks and financial services sector saw 1% increase in trade volume to 4mn equities but on less than 1% fall in value to QR102.69mn. Transactions were up 1% to 1,901.

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