Insurance and telecom stocks yesterday extended the bull run on the Qatar Exchange for the sixth consecutive day.

Despite lower buying interest from domestic institutions and profit-booking by their foreign counterparts, the 20-stock QE Index (based on price data) rose by 0.24% to 8,365.28 points. The market is, however, down 4.71% year-to-date.

Total Return Index and All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) also rose 0.27% and 0.24% to 2,012.63 and 11,321.24 points respectively. Both the indices factored in dividend income as well.

Major gainers included QNB, National Leasing, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Qatar Telecom and Gulf Warehousing; even as Nakilat and Vodafone Qatar bucked the trend.

Under the All Share Index category, the insurance index soared 1.69%, telecom (1.11%), consumer goods (0.29%), realty (0.23%), banks and financial services (0.17%) and industrials (0.07%), while that of transport fell 0.14%.

Market capitalisation gained 0.65% or about QR2bn to QR458.80bn with micro, large and small cap equities notably appreciating 0.60%, 0.28% and 0.26%, respectively.

Of the 42 stocks, 21 advanced, while only 11 declined, seven were unchanged and three were not traded.

Domestic institutions continued to be bullish but with lesser intensity as their net buying fell to 11.03% from 18.73% the previous day. Their net buying was QR21.69mn.

A marginally higher 31.38% of them bought equities compared to 30.61% on Monday and a higher 20.35% offloaded against 11.88%.

However, foreign institutions turned profit takers that they were net sellers to the tune of 9.55% compared with net buyers of 3.06% the previous day. Their net selling was QR18.78mn.

A lower 13.59% of them were into buying against 18.28% on Monday whereas a higher 23.14% of them into selling compared to 15.22%.

Qatari individual investors continued to be bearish but with much lesser vigour as their net selling sunk to 0.52% from 21.7% the previous day. Their net selling amounted to QR1.02mn.

A higher 41.42% of them purchased equities compared to 39.55% on Monday while a much lower 41.94% sold against 61.25%.

Non-Qatari retail investors’ bearish grip strengthened as their net selling rose to 0.96% from 0.09% the previous day. Their net selling was QR1.89mn.

A higher 13.61% of them were into buying against 11.56% on Monday and a higher 14.67% were into offloading against 11.65%.

Total trading volume fell 25% to 4.49mn equities, value by 28% to QR196.64mn and deals by 11% to 2,752.

The industrials sector’s trading volume plummeted 56% to 0.47mn shares, value by 32% to QR28.05mn and transactions by 32% to 380.

The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume plunged 42% to 1.56mn shares, value by 50% to QR80.02mn and deals by 33% to 838.

The insurance sector’s trading volume tanked 25% to 0.06mn shares, value by 25% to QR3mn and transactions by 6% to 83.

The real estate sector’s trading volume was down 2% to 0.95mn shares, value by 5% to QR17.53mn and deals by 10% to 316.

However, the consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume surged 35% to 1mn shares, value by 30% to Q52.01mn and transactions by 48% to 814.

The telecom sector’s trading volume soared 11% to 0.2mn shares, value more than doubled to QR7.63mn and deals gained 63% to 153.

The transport sector’s trading volume rose 9% to 0.25mn shares and value by 8% to QR8.46mn but transactions were down 15% to 168.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were NLC (687,337 shares); Medicare Group (475,178); Mawashi (464,856); United Development Company (348,404) and Mazaya Qatar(319,612).

In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills.