The transport and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.72% to 10,496.82 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,510 points

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday gained as much as 75 points in key index and about QR3bn in capitalisation, tracking sentiments in the regional markets ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest rate decision.

The transport and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.72% to 10,496.82 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,510 points.

The foreign funds were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR2.96bn or 0.47% to QR618.88bn on the back of small cap segments.

The domestic institutions were also increasingly bullish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn ETFs or the exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank), valued at QR0.1mn change hands across nine deals.

As much as 64% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.

The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.

The Arab retail investors were seen increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.

The Total Return Index rose 0.72%, the All Share Index by 0.65% and the All Islamic Index by 0.58% in the main market.

The transport sector index shot up 1%, banks and financial services (0.95%), insurance (0.51%), industrials (0.42%), realty (0.08%) and consumer goods and services (0.05%); while telecom declined 0.63%.

Major movers in the main market included Doha Bank, AlRayan Bank, Milaha, Commercial Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Inma Holding, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Barwa, Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.

Nevertheless, Ooredoo, Mazaya Qatar, Ahlibank Qatar, Mekdam Holding and Ezdan were among the losers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value. The foreign institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR25.04mn compared to QR0.04mn on December 9.

The domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened markedly to QR10.38mn against QR8.93mn the previous day.

The Arab retail investors’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR4.42mn compared to QR3.54mn on Monday.

The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined noticeably to QR0.32mn against QR1.64mn on December 9.

The Gulf retail investors’ net selling shrank remarkably to QR2.22mn compared to QR4.24mn the previous day. However, the Qatari individual investors’ net selling expanded significantly to QR33.88mn against QR7.73mn on Monday.

The foreign individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR3.43mn compared with net buyers of QR1.06mn on December 9.

The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fifth straight session.

Trade volumes in the main market soared 31% to 138.32mn shares, value by 27% to QR404.36mn and transactions by 4% to 14,597.

The venture market saw 50% contraction in trade volumes to 0.05mn equities, 54% in value to QR0.13mn and 32% in deals to 15.

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