KARACHI: Investors sold stocks on Wednesday to book profits, leading the representative index of the share market to close on the lower side.

Topline Securities said buying interest was visible in selected blue-chip sto­c­ks during the early trading hours. But the news of the arrest warrant for PTI chairman Imran Khan dented the momentum. The news flow compelled the stock market to shed its early gains and close the day on a negative note.

According to Arif Habib Ltd, the index bounced wit­hin a short range as investors waited for the Intern­ational Monetary Fund to release the overdue tranche under the $7 billion loan programme.

As a result, the KSE-100 index settled at 39,879.89 points, down 202.48 points or 0.51 per cent from the preceding session.

The overall trading volume increased 24.7pc to 108.8 million shares. The traded value went down 3.1pc to $11.3m on a day-on-day basis.

Stocks contributing significantly to the traded volume included Telecard Ltd (12.4m shares), WorldCall Telecom Ltd (9.4m shares), Pakistan Aluminium Beve­r­age Cans Ltd (7.6m sha­res), Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (6m shares) and Nishat Mills Ltd (4.5m shares).

Sectors contributing neg­a­­t­i­vely to the index performance were commercial ba­n­k­ing (50.2 points), miscellaneous (31.8 points), tec­h­nology and communication (22.6 points), exploration and production (20.7 points) and tobacco (16.5 points). Companies registering the biggest increases in their share prices in absolute terms were Khy­ber Textile Mills Ltd (Rs25.79), Shield Corporation Ltd (Rs20.89), Millat Tractors Ltd (Rs15.14), Atlas Honda Ltd (Rs9.93) and EFU Life Assurance Ltd (Rs9.90).

Companies that reco­rded the biggest declines in their share prices in absolute terms were Unilever Pa­k­i­stan Foods Ltd (Rs497.67), Nestle Pakistan Ltd (Rs130.20), Pakistan Serv­ices Ltd (Rs71.90), Pakistan Tobacco Company Ltd (Rs48.58) and Bata Pakistan Ltd (Rs29).

Foreign investors were net sellers as they offloaded shares worth $0.15m.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2023

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.