The Qatar Stock Exchange gained 160 points to settle above the 10,400 mark, mainly on buying interests of foreign and Gulf institutions.
An across-the-board buying - particularly in insurance, industrials and banking counters - helped the 20-stock Qatar Index add 1.56% to 10,412.5 points, reflecting the US Fed decision to maintain status quo on its key policy rate.
There was also a marginal buying support from Gulf individual investors in the market, where trading turnover and volumes were on the rise.
However, local and non-Qatari retail investors turned bearish and there was increased net selling by domestic institutions in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses were contained at mere 0.16%.
Stronger buying interests were seen in large cap equities in the market, where banking and telecom stocks together accounted for about 55% of the total volumes.
Market capitalisation rose 1.47%, or more than QR8bn, to QR559.63bn as large, micro, mid and small cap equities gained 1.94%, 0.6%, 0.46% and 0.37% respectively.
The Total Return Index gained 1.56% to 16,846.73 points, the All Share Index by 1.36% to 2,876.33 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.1% to 3,910.72 points.
Insurance stocks appreciated 2.4%, followed by industrials (1.68%), banks and financial services (1.6%), telecom (1.3%), transport (0.6%), consumer goods (0.57%) and realty (0.54%).
Three-fourth of the traded stocks extend gains with major movers being Qatar Insurance, Industries Qatar, Qatar Electricity and Water, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Ooredoo, Nakilat, Barwa, Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar. But Gulf International Services and Mannai Corporation were seen losing sheen.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased to QR24.81mn compared to QR21.22mn the previous day.
GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR20.22mn against net sellers of QR9.35mn on Wednesday.
GCC individual investors were also net buyers to the extent of QR0.83mn compared with net sellers of QR8.06mn the previous day.
However, local retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR11.3mn against net buyers of QR4.75mn the previous day.
Domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened to QR33.53mn compared to QR12.62mn on Wednesday.
Non-Qatari individual investors turned net-profit takers to the extent of QR1.06mn against net buyers of QR4.05mn on September 21.
Total trade volume rose 76% to 6.48mn shares, value by 47% to QR286.81mn and deals by 40% to 4,159.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume grew five-fold to 0.4mn equities and value by more than six-fold to QR20.3mn on almost-quadrupled transactions to 439.
The transport sector’s trade volume almost quadrupled to 0.63mn stocks and value rose more than five-fold to QR19.48mn on more-than-doubled deals to 459.
The telecom sector reported a 85% surge in trade volume to 1.63mn shares and 27% in value to QR40.38mn but on a 13% decline in transactions to 609.
The industrials sector’s trade volume soared 83% to 0.88mn equities, value by 72% to QR66.97mn and deals by 34% to 814.
There was a 71% expansion in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 0.89mn stocks, 57% in value to QR18.79mn and 12% in transactions to 399.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume increased 32% to 1.93mn shares, value by 13% to QR111.17mn and deals by 46 to 1,287.
Although the insurance sector’s trade volume was flat at 0.11mn equities, the market witnessed a 24% jump in value to QR9.71mn and 39% in transactions to 152.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.