KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured a volatile session on Thursday, with the indices swaying both ways in search of a clear direction before ending in the red.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index started the session on positive note, touching its intraday high at 46,272.58 after accumulating 180.62 points. The index, however, failed to sustain the positive momentum thereon and fell to its intraday low at 45,852.83 (-239.13 points).
It finally settled lower by 102.61 points at 45,989.35. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index plunged 551.47 points to close at 74,014.92, while the KSE All Share Index lost only 20.54 points, ending at 32,044.00.
The overall market volumes contracted from 845.20 million in the previous session to 618.52 million shares (-27pc). Average traded value also declined by 26pc, from $167.7 million to $123.7 million.
Sectors that dragged the benchmark index lower included oil & gas exploration (-144.47 points), cement (-59.79 points) and fertilizers (-41.49 points). Losing 1.19pc from its market capitalization, the oil & gas exploration sector ended as the session’s worst performer, with OGDC (-1.89pc), Pakistan Oilfields Ltd (POL -1.35pc) and Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL -1.07pc) closing in the negative.
