Increased selling pressure exerted by foreign institutions yesterday dragged the Qatar Exchange.

Although domestic institutions were seen lending buying support, the QE Index (based on price data) shrank 0.66% to 8,416.83 points.

The market is down 4.13% year-to-date.

The All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) and the Total Return Index also lost 0.60% and 0.66% to 2,027.50 and 11,391.01 points respectively. Both the indices factored in dividend income as well.

About 55% of the stocks were in the red with major losers being Industries Qatar, QNB, Commercialbank, Doha Bank, Qatari Investors Group, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Qatar Telecom and Nakilat; even as Gulf International Services (GIS), Dlala and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices (QGMD) bucked the trend.

Under the All Share Index category, the insurance index lost 0.86%, followed by banks and financial services (0.70%), telecom (0.67%), consumer goods (0.54%), real estate (0.47%), industrials (0.45%) and transport (0.39%).

Market capitalisation eroded 0.62% or about QR3bn to QR451.40bn with large, mid and small caps notably melting 0.70%, 0.59% and 0.52% respectively.

Foreign institutions were increasingly bearish as their net selling surged to 20.59% from 4.76% the previous day.

A lower 7.23% of them were into buying against 13.75% on Wednesday, whereas a higher 27.82% of them into selling compared to 18.51%.

On the other hand, domestic institutions were increasingly bullish as their net buying soared to 11.52% from 1.77% the previous day.

A much higher 25.49% of them bought equities compared to 14.28% on Wednesday, although a marginally higher 13.97% offloaded against 12.51%.

Qatari individual investors continued to be bullish, but with lesser vigour, as their net buying fell to 5.73% from 7.47% the previous day.

A lower 45.57% of them purchased equities compared to 50.41% on Wednesday and a lower 39.84% sold against 42.94%.

Non-Qatari retail investors turned bullish as they were net buyers to the tune of 3.35% compared with net sellers of 4.48% the previous day.

A marginally higher 21.72% of them were into buying against 21.56% on Wednesday, while a lower 18.37% were into offloading against 26.04%.

Total trading volume shrank 54% to 4.71mn equities, value by 36% to QR130.03mn and deals by 22% to 2,798.

The real estate sector’s trading volume plummeted 84% to 0.53mn shares, value by 79% to QR10.29mn and transactions by 58% to 313.

The telecom sector’s trading volume plunged 70% to 0.76mn shares, value by 31% to QR20.11mn and deals by 35% to 395.

The transport sector’s trading volume tanked 47% to 0.18mn shares, value by 50% to QR3.17mn and transactions by 26% to 145.

The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume declined 34% to 0.77mn shares, value by 34% to QR13.88mn and deals by 31% to 312.

The insurance sector’s trading volume shrank 25% to 0.03mn shares, value by 23% to QR1.71mn and transactions by 31% to 24.

The industrials sector’s trading volume was down 24% to 1.31mn shares, value by 29% to QR41.78mn and deals by 23% to 599.

However, the banks and financial services sector’s trading volume rose 15% to 1.13mn shares, value by 9% to QR39.08mn and transactions by 36% to 1,010.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Qatari Investors Group (732,714 shares); Vodafone Qatar (632,612); QGMD (623,280); GIS (413,515) and Qatar Oman Investment (336,487).