The Qatar Exchange yesterday edged higher on real estate, telecom and industrial stocks.
Small and mid cap equities were largely sought after as the QE Index (based on price data) rose 0.17% to 8,315.23 points.

The market is down 5.28% year-to-date.
The All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) and the Total Return Index also rose 0.18% and 0.17% to 2,006.35 and 11,253.51 points respectively. Both the indices factored in dividend income as well.

Major gainers included Doha Bank, Industries Qatar, Qatari Investors Group, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Vodafone Qatar and Gulf Warehousing, even as Qatar Islamic Bank and Nakilat bucked the trend.

Under the All Share Index category, the realty index rose 0.74%, followed by telecom (0.49%), industrials (0.44%), insurance (0.26%), consumer goods (0.25%) and transport (0.13%); while banks and financial services fell 0.06%.

Market capitalisation expanded 0.52% or more than QR2bn to QR447.51bn with small and mid cap equities notably gaining 0.70% and 0.47% respectively.

Of the 42 stocks, 21 gained, while 16 declined, three were unchanged and two were not traded.

Qatari individual investors turned bullish as they were net buyers to the tune of 4.90% against net sellers of 7.30% the previous day.

A lower 55.52% of them purchased equities compared to 58.13% on Sunday, but a much lower 50.62% sold against 65.43%.

Domestic institutions turned profit-takers as they were net sellers to the tune of 1.84% compared with net buyers of 6.52% the previous day.

A marginally higher 18.75% of them bought equities compared to 17.13% on Sunday and a higher 20.59% offloaded against 10.61%.

Foreign institutions also turned bearish as they were net sellers to the extent of 1.07% compared with net buyers of 0.65% the previous day.

A higher 7.28% of them were into buying against 4.58% on Sunday and a higher 8.35% of them into selling compared to 3.93%.

Non-Qatari retail investors turned profit-takers as they were net sellers to the tune of 1.98% against net buyers of 0.12% the previous day.

A lower 18.45% of them were into buying against 20.15% on Sunday, while a marginally higher 20.43% were into offloading against 20.03%.

Total trading volume fell 22% to 12.08mn equities, whereas value rose 4% to QR299.19mn but deals were down 12% to 4,534.

The telecom sector’s trading volume plummeted 74% to 0.69mn shares, value by 74% to QR6.43mn and transactions by 59% to 217.

The real estate sector’s trading volume plunged 47% to 2.72mn shares, value by 39% to QR43.03mn and deals by 30% to 752.

The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume tanked 36% to 0.66mn shares, value by 23% to QR23.51mn and transactions by 24% to 534.

The insurance sector’s trading volume declined 36% to 0.07mn shares, value by 52% to QR3.83mn and deals by 62% to 45.

The transport sector’s trading volume shrank 27% to 0.89mn shares, value by 35% to QR23.17mn and transactions by 19% to 463.

However, the industrials sector’s trading volume surged 69% to 3mn shares and value more than doubled to QR120.82mn as deals rose 33% to 1,033.

The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume soared 11% to 4.05mn shares, value by 10% to QR78.40mn and transactions by 8% to 1,490.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Qatar Oman Investment Company (3.11mn shares); Qatari Investors Group (2.37mn); Mazaya Qatar (2.10mn); Vodafone Qatar (685,185) and Barwa (525,387).

In the debt market, there was no trading.