The 20-stock Qatar Index added 0.13% to 10,850.48 points, although insurance, industrials, telecom and transport counters outperformed the main benchmark. The market is up 4.04% year-to-date.
The weak positive rally was notwithstanding FTSE Russell’s confirmation that all its 22 indicated scrips have been included in its global secondary emerging market index.
Trade turnover and volumes were on a steep decline — especially on account of transport and insurance — in the bourse, where banking and realty scrips together accounted for more than 61% of the total volumes.
Amidst a marginal optimism in the market, local, Gulf and non-Qatari retail investors resorted to book profit and Gulf institutions were increasingly bearish.
Market capitalisation was up 0.03% to QR580.93bn mainly on 0.17% jump in microcap equities, even as small and midcaps fell 0.4% and 0.02% respectively.
The Total Return Index gained 0.13% to 17,555.36 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.12% to 4,098.37 points, while All Share Index was largely flat at 2,982.15 points.
Insurance stocks rose 1.24%, industrials (0.64%), telecom (0.43%), transport (0.36%) and consumer goods (0.07%); whereas banks and financial services fell 0.49% and real estate (0.44%).
Influential losers included Qatar Insurance, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Gulf International Services, Vodafone Qatar, Mazaya Qatar, United Development Company, Masraf Al Rayan and Qatar First Bank; even as QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Ezdan, Barwa, Nakilat, Qatari Investors Group and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices bucked the trend.
Non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR16.57mn compared with net sellers of QR16.56mn on September 1.
Domestic institutions’ net profit booking weakened to QR44.53mn against QR45.07mn the previous trading day.
However, local retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR2.47mn compared with net buyers of QR43.17mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari individual investors were also net sellers to the tune of QR1.29mn against net buyers of QR23.89mn on September 1.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net selling rose to QR17.88mn compared to QR11.28mn the previous trading day.
The GCC individual investors turned net profit takers to the extent of QR0.4mn against net buyers of QR5.85mn last Thursday.
Total trade volume fell 69% to 3.37mn shares, value by 69% to QR159.11mn and deals by 60% to 2,604.
There was 86% plunge in the transport sector’s trade volume to 0.2mn equities, 89% in value to QR5.46mn and 82% in transactions to 108.
The insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 75% to 0.05mn stocks, value by 74% to QR4.2mn and deals by 67% to 73.
The telecom sector reported 74% shrinkage in trade volume to 0.37mn shares, 74% in value to QR16.29mn and 65% in transactions to 273.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume tanked 69% to 0.15mn equities, value by 80% to QR4.14mn and deals by 57% to 146.
The banks and financial services sector saw 66% decline in trade volume to 1.27mn stocks, 66% in value to QR78.2mn and 64% in transactions to 874.
The real estate sector’s trade volume shrank 63% to 0.79mn shares, value by 67% to QR15.42mn and deals by 44% to 524.
The market witnessed 62% slump in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 0.54mn equities, 60% in value to QR35.4mn and 50% in transactions to 606.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.