Qatar Exchange yesterday opened the week weak, after eight consecutive days of bull-run, mainly dragged by telecom and insurance stocks.

Local retail investors continued to book profits as the 20-stock QE Index (based on price data) fell 0.14% to 8,404.69 points. The market is down 4.26% year-to-date.

Total Return Index and All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) also lost 0.13% and 0.14% to 2,022.29 and 11,374.58 points respectively. Both the indices factored in dividend income as well.

Major shakers included QNB, National Leasing, Mawashi, Qatari Investors Group and Qatar Telecom; while Industries Qatar, United Development Company (UDC) and Mazaya Qatar bucked the trend.

Under the All Share Index category, the telecom index shrank 1.33%, insurance (0.80%) and banks and financial services (0.26%); while the indices of realty, industrials, consumer goods and transport gained 0.7%, 0.28%, 0.15% and 0.11% respectively.

Market capitalisation fell 0.15% or QR71mn to QR459.94bn with micro, large and small cap equities losing 0.37%, 0.31% and 0.23% respectively, whereas mid caps rose 0.36%.

Of the 42 stocks, 18 advanced, while 17 declined, three were unchanged and four were not traded.

Domestic institutions continued to be bullish but with lesser intensity as their net buying fell to 13.83% from 15.52% the previous day. Their net buying was QR23.62mn.

A lower 25.24% of them bought equities compared to 27.24% last Thursday and a marginally lower 11.41% offloaded against 11.72%.

Foreign institutions continued to be profit takers but with less vigour as their net selling sunk to 1.66% from 2.70% the previous day. Their net selling was QR2.83mn.

A marginally lower 18.54% of them were into buying against 19.32% last Thursday while a marginally higher 22.20% of them into selling compared to 22.02%.

Qatari individual investors were increasingly bearish as their net selling rose to 13.72% from 13.11% the previous day. Their net selling amounted to QR23.43mn.

A marginally lower 39.43% of them purchased equities compared to 39.67% last Thursday whereas a marginally higher 53.15% sold against 52.78%.

Non-Qatari retail investors turned bearish that they were net sellers to the tune of 1.56% compared with net buyers of 0.28% the previous day. Their net selling was QR2.66mn.

A higher 16.79% of them were into buying against 13.76% last Thursday and a higher 15.23% were into offloading against 13.48%.

Total trading volume fell 9% to 5.36mn equities, value by 30% to QR170.78mn and deals by 22% to 2,901.

The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume plummeted 49% to 0.38mn shares, value by 39% to QR22.25mn and transactions by 40% to 411.
The transport sector’s trading volume plunged 42% to 0.39mn shares, value by 58% to QR8.09mn and deals by 16% to 335.

The insurance sector’s trading volume tanked 30% to 0.07mn shares, value by 21% to QR3.40mn and transactions by 20% to 77.

The industrials sector’s trading volume declined 26% to 1.23mn shares, value by 40% to QR40.94mn and deals by 31% to 601.

The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume fell 20% to 1.12mn shares, value by 53% to QR39.46mn and transactions by 20% to 752.

However, the real estate sector’s trading volume more than doubled to 1.44mn shares, value gained 80% to QR23.91mn and deals by 16% to 429.

The telecom sector’s trading volume soared 14% to 0.73mn shares and value by 87% to QR32.74mn but transactions shrank 23% to 296.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Qatari Investors Group (1.01mn shares); Mazaya Qatar (635,614); UDC (624,419); Masraf Al Rayan (505,865) and Vodafone Qatar (469,274).

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