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Bears hold sway at PSX as political tensions weigh

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3 years ago

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  • KSE-100 index plunges 388.62 points to settle at 42,873.35.
  • Benchmark index falls below 43,000-point mark.
  • Uncertainty in international crude oil market also fuelled bearish momentum.

KARACHI: The bears maintained their control over the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday, in line with the preceding session, as the market reacted to repercussions of political uncertainty.

In the backdrop of a worsening political scenario coupled with poor economic data as a result of the rising geopolitical tensions and commodity prices in the international market, the index fell below the 43,000-point mark.

At the close, the benchmark KSE-100 index plunged 388.62 points, or 0.90%, to settle at 42,873.35 points.

Political instability following the Opposition’s decision to submit the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly Secretariat impacted the investment climate.

Uncertainty in the international crude oil market coupled with projections benchmark interest rate also fuelled the bearish momentum.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) later after the session announced that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to hold the policy rate at 9.75% for the next six weeks.

Arif Habib Limited in its post-market commentary noted that a volatile session was observed today due to political unrest and an overheated commodities cycle.

“The market opened in the red zone and stayed under pressure throughout the day,” it said, adding that the cement sector stayed in the red zone due to mounting international coal prices.

Meanwhile, in the last trading hour, across the board selling was witnessed.

Sectors contributing to the performance included banks (-85.8 points), cement (-67.7 points), exploration and production (-62.1 points), power (-37.3 points) and oil marketing companies (-34 points).

Shares of 343 companies were traded during the session. At the close of trading, 102 scrips closed in the green, 223 in the red, and 18 remained unchanged.

Overall trading volumes dropped to 226.10 million shares compared with Monday’s tally of 236.88 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs7.12 billion.

TPL Corporation was the volume leader with 17.35 million shares traded, losing Re1 to close at Rs10.46. It was followed by Unity Foods with 17.18 million shares traded, losing Rs1.49 to close at Rs23.64, and Ghani Global Holdings with 16.90 million shares traded, losing Rs0.87 to close at Rs15.83.

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Irfan Siddiqui meets with the PM and informs him about the Senate performance of the parliamentary party.

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2 days ago

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The head of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and the PML-N’s parliamentary leader paid Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a visit in Islamabad.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Parliamentary Party’s Senate performance.

Additionally, Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ performance.

He complimented the Prime Minister on his outstanding efforts to bring Pakistan’s economy back on track and meet its economic objectives.

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Business

SIFC Increases Direct Foreign Investment: Investment in the Energy Sector Rises by 120%

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2 days ago

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The Special Investment Facilitation Council is intended to help Pakistan’s energy sector attract $585.6 million in direct foreign investment in 2024–2025. The amount invested at the same time previous year was $266.3 million.

This is a notable 120% rise, mostly due to investments in gas exploration, oil, and power. Such expansion indicates heightened investor confidence and emphasizes the development potential in important areas.

The State Bank reports that foreign investment in other vital industries has increased by 48% to $771 million.

This advancement is a blatant testament to SIFC’s efficient investment procedure and quick project execution.

The purpose of the Special Investment Facilitation Council is to establish Pakistan as an investment hub by aggressively promoting regional trade and investment in the energy sector and other critical industries.

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Business

Discos report losses of Rs239 billion.

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When compared to the same period last year, the data indicates that discos have decreased their losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

The distribution businesses recorded losses of Rs239 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year, a substantial decrease from the Rs308 billion losses sustained during the same period the previous year.

Additionally, the distribution businesses’ rate of recovery has improved. It has increased to 91% in the first quarter of this year from 84% in the same period last year, indicating success in revenue collection.

Regarding circular debt, the Power division observed a notable change. Last year, between July and October, the circular debt grew by Rs301 billion. Nonetheless, this year’s first four months saw a relatively modest increase in circular debt, totaling about Rs11 billion.

These enhancements show promising developments in the electricity sector’s financial health in Pakistan, where initiatives are being made to accelerate recovery rates and slow the expansion of circular debt.

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