Index gains despite sluggish activity throughout the day.
KSE-100 index closes at 39,972.64 points.
Shares of 321 companies were traded today.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended gains on Wednesday despite sluggish activity throughout the day as the benchmark KSE-100 index gained nearly 80 points.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail assured that there is no risk of Pakistan defaulting anymore, which sparked positive momentum at the PSX.
Earlier, trading kicked off with a spike with the index surpassing the 40,000-point mark in the first hour of the session.
However, the gloomy scenario on the back of the depreciating Pakistan rupee and political uncertainty in the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Punjab CM election shook investor confidence. The index dived by the end of the session.
At close, the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 39,972.64 points with an increase of 78.59 points or 0.20%.
A report from Arif Habib Limited stated that PSX continued to remain under pressure throughout the day due to concerns regarding uncertain economic situations.
The benchmark KSE-100 index witnessed a volatile session as investors opted to remain sideways as the Pakistani rupee continued its freefall against the US dollar.
Mainboard volumes remained dry whereas decent volumes were observed in the third-tier stocks.
Sectors contributing to the performance included banks (+76.9 points), chemicals (+54.2 points), technology (+27.5 points), engineering (+14.4 points), and cement (+10.1 points).
Shares of 321 companies were traded during the session. At the close of trading, 153 scrips closed in the green, 141 in the red, and 27 remained unchanged.
Overall trading volumes dropped to 121.57 million shares compared with Tuesday’s tally of 131.86 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs4.19 billion.
Lotte Chemical was the volume leader with 10.21 million shares traded, gaining Rs1.50 to close at Rs28.50. It was followed by WorldCall Telecom with 9.26 million shares traded, losing Rs0.02 to close at Rs1.18 and TPL Properties with 9.01 million shares traded, losing Rs0.05 to close at Rs17.27.
In the international exchange market, the US dollar has continued to weaken in relation to the Pakistani rupee.
The dollar fell to Rs278.10 from Rs278.17 at the beginning of interbank trading, according to currency dealers, a seven paisa loss.
In the meantime, there was a lot of turbulence in the stock market, but it recovered and moved into the positive zone. The KSE-100 index recovered momentum and reached 116,000 points after soaring 1,300 points.
Both currency and stock market swings, according to analysts, are a reflection of ongoing market adjustments and economic uncertainty.
The cornerstone of economic cooperation between the two brothers and all-weather friends is still the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the initiative’s flagship project.
In contrast to reports of a slowdown, recent events indicate a renewed vigour and strategic emphasis on pushing the second phase of CPEC, known as CPEC Phase-2, according to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.
According to the statement, this crucial stage seeks to reshape the foundation of bilateral ties via increased cooperation, cutting-edge technology transfer, and revolutionary socioeconomic initiatives.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal is leading Pakistan’s participation in a number of high-profile gatherings in China, such as the 3rd Forum on China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation in Kunming and the High-Level Seminar on CPEC-2 in Beijing.
His involvement demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to reviving CPEC, resolving outstanding concerns, and developing a strong phase-2 roadmap that considers both countries’ long-term prosperity.
At the core of these interactions is China’s steadfast determination to turn CPEC into a strategic alliance that promotes development, progress, and connectivity.
Instead of being marginalised, CPEC is developing into a multifaceted framework with five main thematic corridors: the Opening-Up/Regional Connectivity Corridor, the Innovation Corridor, the Green Corridor, the Growth Corridor, and the Livelihood-Enhancing Corridor.
With the help of projects like these, the two countries will fortify their partnership, and CPEC phase-2 will become a model of global economic integration and collaboration that benefits not just China and Pakistan but the entire region.
On December 2, core inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) significantly slowed, falling to 4.9% in November 2024 from 7.2 percent in October 2024.
The CPI-based inflation rate for the same month last year (November 2023) was 29.2%, according to PBS data.
Compared to a 1.2% gain in the prior month, it increased by 0.5% month over month in November 2024.