Foreign institutions were increasingly net buyers and there was lower selling pressure from local retail investors as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.22% to 10,435.17 points, despite the plunge in global crude prices on Friday.
Islamic stocks were seen gaining faster than the conventional ones in the market, where trading turnover and volumes were however on the decline.
Gulf institutions’ increased buying support also lent support to the bourse, which swung back to gains (0.06%) year-to-date.
However, domestic institutions were increasingly net profit-takers and there were also reduced buying interests from their Gulf counterparts in the market, where industrials and banking stocks accounted for more than 70% of the total volumes.
Market capitalisation was down 0.05%, or QR26mn, to QR559.37bn as mid, micro and large-cap equities fell 0.62%, 0.08% and 0.05% respectively; while small caps were up 0.04%.
The Total Return Index rose 0.22% to 16,883.41 points, the All Share Index by 0.02% to 2,876.99 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.55% to 3,932.12 points.
Industrials and realty stocks gained 0.87% and 0.66% respectively; whereas insurance shrank 0.82%, followed by telecom (0.6%), banks and financial services (0.43%), consumer goods (0.19%) and transport (0.09%).
About 59% of the traded equities extended gains with major movers being Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Islamic Bank and Dlala; even as QNB, Al Khaliji, Gulf International Services and Qatar Insurance were seen losing their sheen.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased to QR31.67mn compared to QR24.81mn the previous trading day.
GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) individual investors’ net buying rose to QR4.04mn against QR0.83mn on September 22.
Local retail investors’ net profit-booking weakened to QR4.61mn compared to QR11.3mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net selling declined to QR0.36mn against QR1.06mn the previous trading day.
However, domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened to QR44.9mn compared to QR33.53mn on September 22.
GCC institutions’ net buying weakened to QR14.16mn against QR20.22mn last Thursday.
Total trade volume fell 42% to 3.79mn shares, value by 38% to QR178.11mn and deals by 49% to 2,136.
The telecom sector reported an 84% plunge in trade volume to 0.26mn equities, 75% in value to QR10.27mn and 63% in transactions to 225.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 73% to 0.11mn stocks, value by 60% to QR8.19mn and deals by 64% to 160.
There was a 73% shrinkage in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.03mn shares, 78% in value to QR2.12mn and 47% in transactions to 80.
The transport sector’s trade volume tanked 65% to 0.22mn equities, value by 72% to QR5.54mn and deals by 78% to 102.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 44% decline in trade volume to 1.09mn stocks, 59% in value to QR45.2mn and 55% in transactions to 582.
The real estate sector’s trade volume shrank 43% to 0.51mn shares, value by 23% to QR14.5mn and deals by 5% to 379.
However, the market witnessed a 78% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 1.57mn equities and 38% in value to QR92.29mn but on a 25% fall in transactions to 608.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.