The Qatar Exchange yesterday snapped a four-day bearish spell to close above the 11,300 mark, mainly lifted by real estate and transport stocks.
Local retail investors and foreign institutions were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price index) rose 0.45% to 11,309.53 points
Mid and large cap equities witnessed the maximum buying interests, leading to more than QR6bn addition in capitalisation.
However, domestic institutions and non-Qatari individual investors were net profit-takers in the market, which is up 8.96% year-to-date.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen to gain faster than the other gauges in the bourse. Trading volumes fell marginally and overall it was skewed towards realty and industrials sectors.
The 20-stock Total Return Index rose 0.45% to 16,722.13 points, the All Share Index (with wider constituents) by 0.53% to 2,897.5 and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.6% to 3,473.5 points.
All the three indices factored in dividend income as well.
Realty stocks appreciated 2.94%, followed by transport (2.35%), industrials (0.9%) and banks and financial services (0.14%); whereas insurance fell 1.48%, telecom 0.39% and consumer goods was down 0.1%.
Major gainers included Industries Qatar, QNB, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Aamal Company, Commercial Bank and Nakilat.
However, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank, International Islamic, Al Meera and Al Khaleej Takaful were seen to buck the trend.
Market capitalisation rose 0.98% to QR630.96bn. Mid and large-cap equities gained 0.85% and 0.29%, while small and micro caps fell 0.34% and 0.05% respectively.
Qatari retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR8.22mn compared with net sellers of QR1.42mn the previous day.
Foreign institutions' net buying amounted to QR31.66mn against QR27.82mn on Monday.
Non-Qatari individual investors' net profit-booking amounted to QR3.92mn compared to QR3.79mn the previous day.
Domestic institutions' net selling stood at QR35.96mn against QR22.61mn on Monday.
Total trading volume was down 1% to 15.66mn stocks, while value rose 27% to QR642.17mn and transactions by 30% to 9,125.
The real estate sector's trading volume plummeted 31% to 6.16mn equities, whereas value was up 4% to QR158.47mn. Deals were down 3% to 1,782.
The telecom sector saw its trading volume plunge 31% to 0.43mn shares and value by 52% to QR11.05mn, but transactions gained 13% to 209.
The consumer goods sector's trading volume tanked 27% to 0.69mn stocks, value by 30% to QR41.94mn and deals by 17% to 550.
However, the insurance sector's trading volume grew nine-fold to 0.18mn equities and value by about eight-fold to QR6.98mn on a 12-fold jump in transactions to 204.
The industrials sector's trading volume soared 74% to 5.42mn shares, value by 57% to QR259.13mn and deals by 58% to 4,475.
The banks and financial services sector reported a 40% surge in trading volume to 1.96mn stocks, 59% in value to QR136.83mn and 33% in transactions to 1,512.
The transport sector saw its trading volume rise 1% to 0.82mn equities, value by 44% to QR27.77mn and deals by 8% to 393.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
© Gulf Times 2014
