US rate cut uncertainties drag QSE below 11,500 points; M-cap melts QR1bn

20/08/2025 06:16 AST

Awaiting rate clues from Washington, DC, investors, especially foreign institutions, squared off their position in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which on Tuesday fell for the third straight session as its key barometer retreated below 11,500 levels.

The telecom, consumer goods, insurance, industrials and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 24 points or 0.21% to 11,491.59 points, even as it touched an intraday high of 11,524 points.

The domestic institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 8.71%.

More than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1bn or 0.66% to QR683.51bn mainly on microcap segments.

The foreign individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 761 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR1,936 trade across four deals.

The Arab retail investors were seen increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.

The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.

The Arab institutions were seen net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.

The Total Return Index shed 0.21%, the All Share Index by 0.1% and the All Islamic Index by 0.38% in the main market.

The telecom sector index tanked 1.98%, consumer goods and services (0.91%), insurance (0.66%), industrials (0.35%) and real estate (0.32%); while transport gained 0.27% and banks and financial services 0.25%.

Major shakers in the main market included Ooredoo, Baladna, Mannai Corporation, Commercial Bank, Qatar German Medical Devices, QIIB, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Woqod, Qatar Electricity and Water, Gulf International Services, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.

Nevertheless, Widam Food, Medicare Group, QNB, Beema, Vodafone Qatar, Meeza and Mekdam Holding were among the movers in the main market.

The foreign institutions' net profit booking increased noticeably to QR18.03mn compared to QR11.75mn on August 18.

The domestic institutions' net selling expanded perceptibly to QR12.7mn against QR9.54mn the previous day.

The foreign retail investors' net selling expanded markedly to QR4.28mn compared to QR3.74mn on Monday.

The Arab individual investors' net profit booking strengthened considerably to QR2.05mn against QR0.22mn on August 18.

The Arab institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.11mn compared with net buyers of QR0.09mn the previous day.

The local individual investors' net buying weakened notably to QR23.75mn against QR29.59mn on Monday.

However, the Gulf institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR11.25mn compared with net sellers of QR3.67mnon August 18.

The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.17mn against net profit takers of QR0.78mn the previous day.

The main market saw 16% contraction in trade volumes to 151.62mn shares, 3% in value to QR399.91mn and less than 1% in deals to 20,104.

In the venture market, a total of 0.09mn equities valued at QR0.23mn changed hands across 24 transactions.