The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its remarkable bullish run on Monday, extending its winning streak for the 11th consecutive session.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index surged to near the 50,000 level in intra-day trading, marking a significant milestone before closing at 49,731.35 points. Investors witnessed a dynamic trading day filled with excitement and optimism.
Intra-day surge
The KSE-100 Index started the day with a flourish, reaching an intra-day high of 49,919.03 points soon after the market opened.
However, as the trading session progressed, selling pressure caused the index to trim some of its gains.
At the close of the trading day, the benchmark index settled at 49,731.35, reflecting a gain of 237.88 points, equivalent to a 0.48% increase.
This notable surge in the KSE-100 index reflects the persistent positive sentiment in Pakistan's equities market.
Investor profit-taking
According to Topline Securities, one of the prominent brokerage houses, "Pakistan's equities market experienced a strong start to the week, with the index surging by 426 points to reach 49,919 within the first five minutes of trading.
As the index approached the significant 50,000 level, investors decided to lock in profits." This profit-taking activity slightly dampened the index's rapid ascent.
Sector contributions
The market's upward momentum was primarily fueled by key sectors, with banking, technology, and cement sectors leading the charge.
Stocks of companies like TRG, PSEL, THALL, MLCF, and MCB collectively contributed 143 points to the market's gains. In contrast, ENGRO, UBL, and LUCK incurred a combined loss of 48 points, contributing to the day's dynamic trading landscape.
In parallel, the Pakistani rupee continued its impressive performance against the US dollar, appreciating by another 0.29% in the inter-bank market on Monday.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the local currency settled at 276.83, showing a gain of Re0.79. This marked the 28th consecutive session of appreciation against the greenback, bolstering investor confidence.
Market statistics
Despite the volatile trading day, the overall volume on the all-share index decreased to 467.38 million shares, down from 556.39 million in the previous session.
The total value of shares traded also saw a slight dip, declining to Rs14.11 billion from Rs15.45 billion.
K-Electric Ltd. led the volume charts with 98.16 million shares traded, followed by P.T.C.L. with 22.6 million shares and Pak Int. Bulk with 22.07 million shares.
Of the 363 companies whose shares were traded on Monday, 219 registered an increase, 132 recorded a fall, while 12 remained unchanged. This dynamic trading landscape underscores the overall optimism and resilience of the Pakistan Stock Exchange, as it continues to make gains in these challenging times.
Investors and market enthusiasts remain hopeful that this winning streak will persist and drive economic growth in Pakistan, reinforcing the country's position as an emerging market to watch.
