BRIndex100 slightly up

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Despite foreign selling, Pakistan Stock Exchange Friday closed on a positive note on the back of fresh buying by local investors. BRIndex100 gained 14.01 points or 0.28 percent to close at 4,974.82 points. During the session, the BRIndex-100 hit an intraday high of 5,000.47 and an intraday low of 4,961.01 points. Total volumes stood at 632.608 million shares.

BRIndex30 increased by 255.71 points or 1.0 percent to close at 25,790.43 points with total daily turnover of 468.610 million shares.

The KSE-100 Index inched up by 84.91 points or 0.18 percent and closed at 46,227.65 points. Trading activities slightly improved as daily volumes on ready counter increased to 694.815 million shares as compared to 577.954 million shares traded Thursday.

The foreign investors remained net sellers of shares worth $2.804 million. Total market capitalization increased by Rs 24 billion to Rs 8.316 trillion. Out of total 415 active scrips, 205 closed in positive and 200 in negative while the value of 10 stocks remained unchanged.

Byco Petroleum was the volume leader with 89.840 million shares and gained Rs 0.90 to close at Rs 10.30 followed by WorldCall Telecom that inched up by Rs 0.09 to close at Rs 1.59 with 62.279 million shares. Millat Tractors and Nestle Pakistan were the top gainers increasing by Rs 90.56 and Rs 78.45 respectively to close at Rs 1298.14 and Rs 6200.00 while Rafhan Maize and Bata Pak were the top losers declining by Rs 385.00 and Rs 38.58 respectively to close at Rs 10,100.00 and Rs 1799.42.

BR Automobile Assembler Index surged by 198.13 points or 2.25 percent to close at 9,020.40 points with total turnover of 9.381 million shares.

BR Cement Index lost 34.22 points or 0.46 percent to close at 7,404.22 points with 48.525 million shares.

BR Commercial Banks Index closed at 8,782.85, up 0.21 points with 86.034 million shares.

BR Power Generation and Distribution Index decreased by 19.09 points or 0.33 percent to close at 5,697.70 points with 26.900 million shares.

BR Oil and Gas Index fell by 7.11 points or 0.17 percent to close at 4,242.66 points with 26.168 million shares.

BR Tech. & Comm. Index increased by 171.7 points or 4.9 percent to close at 3,677.76 points with 218.671 million shares.

Danish Ladhani at JS Global Capital said that the KSE-100 Index started the day strong, rising to touch a high of plus 235 points from where the index slid to a low of minus 6 points as a result of profit-taking.

The market closed the volatile session at 46,227 level with the KSE-100 Index having inched up 85 points. BYCO (up 9.6 percent), WTL (up 6.0 percent), HUMNL (up 8.6 percent), BOP (up 4.8 percent), TRG (up 7.1 percent) and TELE (down 0.2 percent) were major contributors to total traded volume which was recorded at 695 million shares. In the Cement sector, DGKC (up 0.9 percent) reported a consolidated EPS of Rs 2.31 for first half of FY21 while FCCL (down 3.0 percent) reported an EPS of Rs 1.16. Neither company announced a cash payout. The latter also announced through a notice that the company's board had approved the setting up of a Greenfield Cement Manufacturing Plant of 2.05 million tons per annum.

In the Financials, BOP (up 4.8 percent) reported a consolidated EPS of Rs 2.58 for CY20 along with a cash dividend of Rs1/share.