The domestic institutions Sunday turned net buyers in the Qatar Stock Exchange, which otherwise settled in the negative turf for the third straight session.
The local retail investors continued to be net sellers but with lesser vigour as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 36 points or 0.3% lower at 11,913.81 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,969 points.
The Arab individuals were seen increasingly net profit takers in the market, whose year-to-date gains were at 14.16%.
More than 74% of the traded constituents were in the red in the bourse, which saw the consumer goods and services, telecom and transport counters witness higher than average net selling pressure.
The Gulf institutions turned bearish in the market, whose capitalisation saw more than QR3bn or 0.44% decline to QR686.97bn, mainly on small and microcap segments.
The foreign funds also continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the bourse, where the industrials and banking sectors together constituted about 69% of the total trading volume.
The overall trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the main market, where the foreign individuals were increasingly net buyers.
The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers in the market, which saw a total of 216,126 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan sponsored QATR) valued at QR68,553 trade across nine deals.
The Total Return Index declined 0.3% to 23,584.1 points, All Share Index by 0.35% to 3,770.64 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.33% to 2,649.8 points.
The consumer goods and services sector index shrank 0.59%, telecom (0.59%), transport (0.44%), banks and financial services (0.43%), industrials (0.19%) and realty (0.09%), while insurance gained 0.47%.
Major losers in the main market included Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Widam Food, Investment Holding Group, Qatar Oman Investment, Gulf International Services, QNB, Qatari German Medical Devices, Ooredoo, QLM, Salam International Investment, Mazaya Qatar and Ezdan.
Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Mannai Corporation, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ahlibank Qatar, United Development Company, Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat were among the gainers in the main market. In the venture market, Mekdam Holding saw its shares gain.
The Arab individuals’ net selling increased considerably to QR15.92mn against QR1.56mn on November 18.
The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR5.39mn compared with net buyers of QR6.01mn last Thursday.
The Gulf individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR0.75mn against net buyers of QR0.37mn the previous trading day.
The foreign funds’ net buying declined significantly to QR13.11mn compared to QR63.65mn on November 18.
However, the domestic funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR20.22mn against net sellers of QR13.94mn last Thursday.
The foreign individuals’ net buying strengthened markedly to QR1.58mn compared to QR0.07mn the previous trading day.
The Qatari individuals’ net selling shrank substantially to QR12.86mn against QR54.62mn on November 18.
The Arab funds continued to have no major net exposure for the fourth consecutive day.
Total trade volume in the main market fell 5% to 94.19mn shares, value by 36% to QR230.27mn and transactions by 41% to 5,219.
There was 70% plunge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 1.11mn equities, 78% in value to QR3.02mn and 71% in deals to 204.
The transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 70% to 1.89mn stocks, value by 74% to QR9.22mn and transactions by 68% to 209.
The insurance’s sector reported 54% shrinkage in trade volume to 1.01mn shares, 66% in value to QR2.8mn and 56% in deals to 80.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume shrank 5% to 23.04mn equities, value by 51% to QR82.16mn and transactions by 53% 1,931.
The market witnessed 2% dip in the consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume to 14.97mn stocks, 28% in value to QR25.24mn and 22% in deals to 619.
However, the industrials sector’s trade volume shot up 11% to 41.5mn shares and value by 8% to QR92.81mn, whereas transactions declined 15% to 1,708.
The real estate sector saw 2% jump in trade volume to 10.67mn equities but on 14% contraction in value to QR15.03mn despite 1% higher deals at 468.
In the venture market, volume and value gained 15.84% and 63.18% respectively amidst 53.19% decline in transactions.