KARACHI: Investors noticed a resurgence of optimistic feelings at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as trading on Monday saw the benchmark KSE-100 Index rise by 1.23 percent.
Earlier during the session, the KSE-100 Index gained nearly 700 points to hit a high of 40,367.43, but profit-taking erased more than half of the intra-day gains. However, KSE-100 index closed at 40,155.16 with gains of 485.96 points.
Across-the-board buying was witnessed with index-heavy automobiles, banks, cement all trading in the green.
The increase comes in contrast to the previous week, when the KSE-100 Index tanked 4%, dropping near the 39,000-point level. Last Tuesday, marred by political upheaval and a vulnerable economic situation, the PSX witnessed a bloodbath as the benchmark KSE-100 Index lost over 1,100 points.
A total of 146,880,187 shares were traded during the day as compared to 132,633,704 shares the previous day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 5.134 billion against Rs 4.590 billion on the last trading day.
As many as 329 companies transacted their shares in the stock market; 207 of them recorded gains and 108 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 14 companies remained unchanged.
The three top-trading companies were Pak Petroleum with 11,055,491 shares at Rs 61.78 per share, Oil and Gas Dev. with 7,699,788 shares at Rs 76.87 per share and WorldCall Telecom with 6,790,855 shares at Rs 1.23 per share.
Nestle Pakistan witnessed a maximum increase of Rs 364.87 per share price, closing at Rs5229.87, whereas the runner-up was Pak Services with a Rs 99.00 rise in its per share price to Rs1599.00.
Bhanero Textile witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs 72.93 per share closing at Rs 1051.01 followed by Pak Tobacco with a Rs 57.00 decline to close at Rs 915.00.
