The Pakistan Stock Exchange ended Wednesday’s session on a positive note, with the benchmark KSE-100 index gaining 729.49 points, or 1.40 per cent, by the close of the trading session to reach 52,876.46.

Volumes were led by chemicals and commercial banks as the benchmark index continued this week’s rally to momentarily peak just above 53,100 before closing lower.

146.14 million shares changed hands by the end of the session, with a total worth of nearly Rs17.7 billion.

Stocks of 418 companies were traded, of which 182 gained in value, 219 declined and 17 remained unchanged.

Volumes were led by:

1. Power Cement (R): 123.95m shares traded [+35.29pc];

2. Bank of Punjab: 90.94m shares traded [+24.67pc];

3. Lotte Chemical: 36.2m shares traded [-6.41pc];

4. Power Cement: 14.49m shares traded [+4.93pc]; and,

5. K-Electric Ltd: 11.14m shares traded [+0.64pc].