The Qatar Exchange fell for the second day yesterday mainly on profit-booking pressures exerted by local retail investors.

Although gainers outnumbered losers, the QE Index (based on price data) fell 0.66% to 8,548.26 points.

The market is down 2.63% year-to-date.

On the contrary, the All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) and the Total Return Index gained 0.29% and 0.28% to 2,053.57 and 11,568.88 points respectively. Both the indices factored in dividend income as well.

Major losers were Qatar Islamic Bank, Dlala, Aamal Company, Gulf International Services, Ezdan Real Estate, Barwa and Qatar Telecom; even as Salam International Investment (SIIL), Mazaya Qatar and Vodafone Qatar bucked the trend.

Under the All Share Index category, the index of telecom surged 2.97%, followed by insurance (1.38%), industrials (0.29%), consumer goods (0.21%) and transport (0.13%); while the indices of real estate and banks and financial services lost 0.13% and 0.05% respectively.

Market capitalisation eroded 0.77% or about QR4bn to QR458.84bn mainly due to a 0.89% fall in large cap equities; while small and micro caps gained 0.30% and 0.13% respectively.
Of the 42 stocks, 22 advanced, while 14 declined and six were unchanged.

Qatari individual investors were increasingly profit takers as their net selling rose to 6% from 1.43% the previous day.

A much higher 52.01% of them purchased equities compared to 40.29% on Wednesday and a much higher 58.01% sold against 41.72%.

Non-Qatari retail investors turned bearish as they were net sellers to the extent of 1.31% compared with net buyers of 0.55% the previous day.

A marginally lower 13.99% of them were into buying against 14.94% on Wednesday, whereas a marginally higher 15.30% were into offloading compared to 14.39%.

Foreign institutions continued to be profit-takers but with lesser intensity as their net selling sunk to 12.64% from 17.96% the previous day.

A lower 4.43% of them were into buying against 7.61% on Wednesday and a lower 17.07% of them into selling compared to 25.57%.

Domestic institutions’ bullish grip strengthened as their net buying rose to 19.94% from 18.85% the previous day.

A lower 29.57% of them bought equities against 37.17% on Wednesday and a lower 9.63% offloaded compared to 18.32%.

Total trading volume shrank 27% to 8.91mn equities, value by 40% to QR233.18mn and deals by 41% to 3,547.

The insurance sector’s trading volume plummeted 71% to 0.02mn shares, value by 60% to QR0.98mn and transactions by 42% to 29.

The industrials sector’s trading volume plunged 67% to 0.82mn shares, value by 64% to QR32.46mn and deals by 61% to 583.

The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume tanked 56% to 2.36mn shares, value by 36% to QR101.43mn and transactions by 46% to 1,084.

However, the real estate sector’s trading volume surged 72% to 2.70mn shares, value by 42% to QR36.92mn and deals by 34% to 752.

The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume soared 22% to 1.58mn shares whereas value fell 39% to QR33.52mn and transactions by 46% to 430.

The transport sector’s trading volume shot up 12% to 0.47mn shares, value by 10% to QR10.02mn and deals by 1% to 351.

The telecom sector’s trading volume was up 2% to 0.96mn while value slid 62% QR17.84mn and transactions by 58% to 318.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Mazaya Qatar (2.30mn shares); SIIL (1.39mn); Vodafone Qatar (880,505); Commercialbank (607,350) and Qatar Oman Investment (606,847).

In the debt market, there were no trades in treasury bills.