KEY POINTS
- 487 companies traded: 225 gainers, 223 losers, 39 unchanged.
- Losses led by ENGROH, PPL, MARI, EFERT, FFC; limited support from MEBL, ILP, KTML.
- Volume rose to 1,279.94m shares, value fell to Rs 50.21bn;
- Rupee closed at 281.56 (+Rs 0.04).
ISLAMABAD: A technical correction crept into the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Thursday, snapping a nine-session bull run as investors booked profits and the benchmark KSE-100 Index slid 879.55 points (0.56%) to close at 156,141.24.
Brokerage Topline Securities said gains in Meezan Bank (MEBL), International Leasing (ILP) and Kohinoor Textile Mills (KTML) contributed a combined 152 points, but were outweighed by heavy losses in Engro Fertilisers (ENGROH), Pakistan Petroleum (PPL), Mari Petroleum (MARI), Engro Fertiliser (EFERT) and Fauji Fertiliser (FFC), which together trimmed about 540 points off the benchmark.
Market breadth was mixed: 487 companies changed hands on the day — 225 advanced, 223 declined, and 39 remained unchanged.
Total traded volume on the all-share index increased to 1,279.94 million shares from 996.27 million in the previous session, while turnover eased to Rs50.21 billion from Rs52.73bn.
Agha Steel Industries led volumes with 113.01m shares, followed by WorldCall Telecom (85.63m) and K-Electric Ltd (69.82m). Of the 487 stocks traded, 225 closed higher, 223 lower and 39 unchanged.
On the currency front, the Pakistani rupee closed stronger in the inter-bank market at 281.56 per US dollar, gaining Rs 0.04 — extending its winning run to 25 consecutive sessions.
International cues were mixed: Asian tech stocks improved after a surge in Oracle shares prompted by Artificial Intelligence (AI) optimism.
On the other hand, European markets remained cautious ahead of a key ECB policy decision.
Snapshot (quick reference)
KSE-100 Close: 156,141.24 (-879.55 / -0.56%)
Traded Volume (All-share): 1,279.94 million shares
Turnover: Rs50.21 billion
Active Companies: 487 (Gainers: 225 | Losers: 223 | Unchanged: 39)
Top Volume Leaders: Agha Steel Ind. 113.01m; WorldCall 85.63m; K-Electric 69.82m
Rupee (inter-bank close): 281.56 (▲ Rs 0.04)
