The Qatar Stock Exchange was largely flat yesterday despite strong selling in consumer goods, transport and industrials counters.

Foreign institutions and individuals turned net profit takers and there was increased net selling by local retail investors, leading the 20-stock Qatar Index fall a marginal 0.02% for the fifth straight session to 10,404.19 points. The market’s year-to-date losses were seen at 0.24%.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the market, where banking and realty stocks together constituted about 63% of the total volumes.

Islamic stocks were seen declining much faster than the conventional ones in the bourse, where domestic institutions however turned bullish. Moreover, Gulf individual investors and institutions were also seen net buyers.

A 0.15% increase in large cap equities was masked by 0.45% and 0.29% decline respectively in small and midcaps that market capitalisation fell by mere QR2mn to QR560.82bn.

The Total Return Index was down 0.02% to 16,833.28 points, All Share Index by 0.02% to 2,872 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.32% to 3,856.32 points.

Consumer goods saw their equities’ prices decline 0.45%, transport (0.35%), industrials (0.32%) and real estate (0.23%); whereas insurance gained 0.92%, banks and financial services (0.18%) and telecom (0.05%).

About 63% of the stocks were in the red with major losers being Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemicals Holding, Gulf Warehousing, Nakilat, Vodafone Qatar, Doha Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar First Bank, Alijarah Holding, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices and United Development Company; even as QNB, Ooredoo, Qatar Insurance, Gulf International Services and Dlala saw their stocks make modest gains.

Non-Qatari institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.46mn against net buyers of QR61.21mn on Monday.

Local retail investors’ net profit booking strengthened to QR20.81mn compared to QR9.72mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari individual investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR0.15mn against net buyers of QR2.2mn on October 24.

However, domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR21mn compared with net sellers of QR41.04mn on Monday.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR0.08mn against net sellers of QR9.17mn the previous day.

The GCC individual investors were also net buyers to the tune of QR1.33mn compared with net profit takers of QR3.47mn on October 24.

Total trade volume fell 49% to 3.27mn shares, value by 43% to QR138.64mn and deals by 26% to 1,835.

There was 81% plunge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 0.38mn equities, 75% in value to QR29.07mn and 53% in transactions to 330.

The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 69% to 0.4mn stocks, value by 58% to QR6.96mn and deals by 26% to 195.

The consumer goods sector reported 44% shrinkage in trade volume to 0.05mn shares, 49% in value to QR3.42mn and 40% in transactions to 113.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume tanked 39% to 1.37mn equities and value by 9% to QR71.89mn; while deals were up 8% to 918.

However, the market witnessed 83% surge in the transport sector’s trade volume to 0.33mn stocks and 11% in value to QR11.04mn but on 44% decline in transactions to 107.

The real estate sector’s trade volume soared 38% to 0.69mn shares and value by 16% to QR11.49mn; whereas deals shrank 49% to 95.

The insurance sector witnessed 20% expansion in trade volume to 0.06mn equities and 34% in value to QR4.78mn but on 27% slump in transactions to 77.

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