Qatar stock index falls again

The bearish sentiment continued on the Qatar Exchange for a third consecutive day yesterday mainly instilled by realty and telecom stocks.

Foreign institutions continued to be net sellers but with less vigour as the QE Index (based on price data) fell 0.21% to 8,232.01 points. The market is down 6.23% year-to-date.

All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) and Total Return Index also shrank 0.13% and 0.21% to 1,985.85 and 11,140.89 points. Both the indices factored in dividend income as well.

Major losers included Commercialbank (Cb), Industries Qatar, United Development Company, Mazaya Qatar, Qatar Telecom and Nakilat; even as Mawashi, Qatari Investors Group and Gulf Warehousing bucked the trend.

Under the All Share Index category, the real estate index tanked 0.92%, telecoms (0.56%), transport (0.26%) and industrials (0.22%); while that of insurance gained 0.21%, banks and financial services (0.07%) and consumer goods (0.06%).

Market capitalisation was down 0.10% or QR46mn to QR451.87bn.

Of the 42 stocks, only 12 advanced, while 19 declined, six were unchanged and five were not traded.

Foreign institutions continued to be profit takers but with lesser intensity as their net selling fell to 16.42% from 18.58% the previous day. Their net selling was QR25.10mn.

A higher 16.83% of them were into buying against 10.92% on Tuesday and a higher 33.25% of them into selling compared to 29.5%.

Domestic institutions’ bullish grip slackened as their net buying sunk to 11.62% from 19.29% the previous day. Their net buying was QR17.76mn.

A lower 20.9% of them bought equities compared to 29.12% on Tuesday and a marginally lower 9.28% offloaded against 9.83%.

Qatari individual investors continued to be bullish but with lesser intensity as their net buying fell to 2.11% from 3.26% the previous day. Their net buying amounted to QR3.23mn.

A lower 43.59% of them purchased equities compared to 46.42% on Tuesday and a lower 41.48% sold against 43.16%.

Non-Qatari retail investors turned bullish that they were net buyers to the tune of 2.69% compared with net sellers of 3.97% the previous day. Their net buying was QR4.11mn. A higher 18.68% of them were into buying against 13.54% on Tuesday whereas a lower 15.99% were into offloading against 17.51%.

Total trading volume rose 13% to 4.03mn equities, value by 19% to QR152.88mn and deals by 9% to 2,473.

The insurance sector’s trading volume jumped more than 47-fold to 0.03mn shares and value by 48-fold to QR1.43mn on more than 10-fold rise in transactions to 34.

The telecom sector’s trading volume gained seven-fold to 0.30mn shares, value rose 3% to QR4.65mn and deals more than tripled to 133.

The transport sector’s trading volume shot up 96% to 0.53mn shares, value by 92% to QR13.91mn and transactions by 45% to 288.

The industrials sector’s trading volume gained 27% to 0.33mn shares, value moiré than doubled to QR25.82mn and deals rose 19% to 359.

The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume was up 23% to 1.34mn shares, value by 9% to QR59.82mn and transactions by 12% to 872.

However, the real estate sector’s trading volume tanked 31% to 0.90mn shares, value by 24% to QR15.12mn and deals by 37% to 295.

The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume was flat at 0.59mn shares, while value rose 8% to QR32.13mn and transactions by 1% to 492.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Mawashi (415,488 shares); National Leasing (365,307); Mazaya Qatar (352,907); Cb (346,836) and Masraf Al Rayan (346,354). In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills.