Qatar Stock Exchange has gained 31 points but to remain under the 10,200 level; mainly lifted by strong buying interests in transport, telecom and insurance stocks.

Mid, small and microcap equities witnessed gains to enhance the capitalisation by about QR2bn.

Foreign institutions’ increased buying support and the bullish outlook of local and non-Qatari retail investors drove the 20-stock Qatar Index up 0.3% to 10,172.95 points.

The market’s year-to-date losses were at 2.46%. In October alone, the bourse has lost a sizeable 263 points or 2.52% on strong selling in consumer goods, realty and industrials.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the rise in the market, where industrials, consumer goods, telecom and banking stocks together constituted more than 82% of the total volumes yesterday.

Gulf institutions’ weakened net selling also helped the bourse, where Islamic stocks report losses vis-à-vis gains in the conventional ones.

However, domestic institutions’ net profit booking became intense and Gulf retail investors turned bearish.

Market capitalisation rose 0.27% to QR549.03bn as mid, small and microcap scrips gained 1.6%, 1.05% and 1.04% respectively; even as large caps were unchanged.

The Total Return Index gained 0.3% to 16,459.15 points and All Share Index by 0.3% to 2,808.56 points; while Al Rayan Islamic Index was down 0.04% to 3,740.03 points.

Transport sector saw its index soar 3.97%, telecom (2.36%), insurance (1.85%) and industrials (0.26%); while real estate fell 0.93%, consumer goods (0.5%) and banks and financial services (0.15%).

Major gainers included Ooredoo, Qatar Insurance, Milaha, Gulf Warehousing, Gulf International Services, Qatari Investors Group, Doha Bank, Dlala, Medicare Group, Salam International Investment and Islamic Holding Group.

Nevertheless, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank, Industries Qatar, Ezdan, Barwa, Al Meera, Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat saw their stocks lose sheen.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying soared perceptibly to QR157.15mn compared to QR127.94mn on October 30.

Local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR11.56mn against net sellers of QR15.03mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari individual investors were also net buyers to the extent of QR2.36mn compared with net sellers of QR1.31mn on Sunday.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net profit booking fell to QR5.48mn against QR9.05mn on October 30.

However, domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened considerably to QR163.82mn compared to QR104.4mn the previous day.

The GCC individual investors turned net profit takers to the tune of QR1.81mn against net buyers of QR1.82mn on Sunday.

Total trade volume rose 28% to 10.2mn shares, value by 35% to QR421.88mn and deals by 45% to 4,672.

The consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 2.1mn equities and value more than quadrupled to QR128.61mn on more than doubled transactions to 1,194.

The telecom sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 1.94mn stocks and value also more than doubled to QR37.8mn on 31% jump in deals to 458.

The banks and financial services sector saw 30% surge in trade volume to 1.89mn shares, 70% in value to QR77.84mn and 93% in transactions to 1,134.

The real estate sector’s trade volume soared 29% to 1.34mn equities, value by 46% to QR26.61mn and deals by 94% to 811.

There was 21% expansion in the transport sector’s trade volume to 0.41mn stocks, 87% in value to QR19.81mn and 25% in transactions to 231.

However, the insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 50% to 0.08mn shares, while value rose 5% to QR5.78mn and deals by 3% to 72.

The market witnessed 29% plunge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 2.44mn equities, 33% in value to QR125.43mn and 26% in transactions to 772.

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