RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange Wednesday recorded second worst-ever decline in its history due to panic selling on investor concerns over coronavirus spread.

After opening on a negative note, the stock market saw a freefall and the PSX had to trigger another market halt at 10:17am and the trading remained suspended for 45 minutes. It was fifth market halt during last eight days.

BRIndex100 decreased by 248.97 points or 7.47 percent to close at 3,082.88 points. BRIndex100 index touched intraday high of 3,276.53 and intraday low of 3,080.32 points. Volumes stood at 163.806 million shares. BRIndex30 declined by 1,265.61 points or 7.58 percent to close at 15,425.88 points with a turnover of 123.012 million shares.

The KSE-100 Index plunged by 2,200.88 points or 6.75 percent, the second worst-ever single day decline in PSX history. It closed at 30,416.05 points. Trading activity remained thin as daily volumes on the ready counter decreased to 186.654 million shares as compared to 240.379 million shares traded Tuesday.

The market capitalization declined by Rs 351 billion to Rs 5.882 trillion. Out of total 363 active scrips, 336 closed in negative, only 20 in positive while the value of 7 stocks remained unchanged.

K-Electric was the volume leader with 25.474 million shares. However, it lost Re 0.35 to close at Rs 2.88 followed by Bank of Punjab that closed at Rs 8.04, down Rs 0.46 with 19.572 million shares.

Sapphire Textile and EFU Life were the top gainers with Rs 59.62 and Rs 13.02, respectively to close at Rs 868.99 and Rs 193.96. Bata Pak and Mari Petroleum were the top losers with Rs 112.15 and Rs 76.49, respectively to close at Rs 1,424.76 and Rs 943.41.

BR Automobile Assembler Index plunged by 334.12 points or 6.4 percent to close at 4,890.39 points with total turnover of 1.129 million shares. BR Cement Index declined by 276.81 points or 7.27 percent to close at 3,528.35 points with 22.829 million shares.

BR Commercial Banks Index decreased by 511.81 points or 6.99 percent to close at 6,812.03 points with 32.944 million shares.

BR Power Generation and Distribution Index shed 332.64 points or 7.77 percent to close at 3,950.10 points with 31.082 million shares.

BR Oil and Gas Index fell by 236.06 points or 7.5 percent to close at 2,913.07 points with 18.927 million shares.

BR Tech. & Comm. Index closed at 750.54 points, down 51.92 points or 6.47 percent with 10.793 million shares.

Danish Ladhani at JS Global Capital said that the stock market opened on a negative note and rapidly came under duress, plummeting over 2,238 points halting once again as the investors reacted with disappointment to the lower-than-expected cut in the policy rate announced by the central bank on Tuesday. Moreover, as the coronavirus pandemic widens across the globe, more and more coronavirus cases are surfacing in Pakistan. HBL (down 7.5 percent), ENGRO (down 7.5 percent), HUBC (down 7.5 percent), MCB (down 7.3 percent), FFC (down 7.3 percent), OGDC (down 7.5 percent), UBL (down 7.3 percent), LUCK (down 7.5 percent) and PPL (down 7.5 percent) cumulatively contributed minus 993 points towards the negative index close.