(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday failed to break the 12,700 mark although buying interests, especially in the consumer goods and insurance, overall lifted the market 22 points.
Retail investors were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) rose for the eighth straight session by 0.17% to 12,689.28 points amid dampened trade volumes.
Islamic stocks continued to witness selling pressure in the bourse, which is up 3.28% year-to-date.
Large cap stocks were seen in demand in the market, where telecom and real estate stocks cornered about 77% of the total trading volume.
Market capitalisation expanded 0.25% or about QR2bn to QR685.87bn with large and mid cap equities gaining 0.4% and 0.19% respectively; while small caps losing 0.16%.
The Total Return Index rose 0.17% to 19,046.2 points and All Share Index by 0.21% to 3,281.08 points; while Al Rayan Islamic Index shrank 0.46% to 4,439.52 points.
Insurance stocks gained 1.22%, consumer goods (1.16%), telecom (0.68%), transport (0.63%), banks and financial services (0.53%) and realty (0.13%); while industrials shrank 0.85%.
Major movers included QNB, Salam International Investment, Ezdan, United Development Company, Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat.
However, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank and Alijarah Holding bucked the trend.
Qatari retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.72mn against net sellers of QR11.82mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individual investors also turned net buyers to the extent of QR35.59mn compared with net sellers of QR24.57mn on February 9.
However, foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR21.79mn against net buyers of QR77.65mn on Monday.
Domestic institutions' net profit booking sunk to QR19.52mn compared to QR41.39mn the previous day.
Total trade volume fell 21% to 33.41mn shares, value by 28% to QR985.8mn and transactions by 19% to 9,957.
The insurance sector's trade volume plummeted 58% to 0.14mn stocks, value by 58% to QR9.86mn and deals by 47% to 140.
The banks and financial services sector reported 53% plunge in trade volume to 3.69mn equities, 35% in value to QR237.94mn and 22% in transactions to 2,314.
The industrials sector's trade volume tanked 53% to 1.5mn shares, value by 43% to QR110.07mn and deals by 29% to 1,473.
The consumer goods sector saw its trade volume decline 53% to 1.23mn stocks, value by 46% to QR49.16mn and transactions by 48% to 625.
There was 30% shrinkage in the real estate's trade volume to 10.64mn equities, 32% in value to QR249.13mn and 18% in deals to 2,784.
The transport sector's trade volume was down 7% to 1.17mn shares, even as value rose 2% to QR37.27mn and transactions by 23% to 287.
However, the telecom sector's trade volume expanded 27% to 15.03mn stocks, value by 21% to QR292.37mn and deals by 6% to 2,334.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
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