Market watch: Bourse drops 90 points amid widespread selling

Pakistan Oilfields sparks profit-taking frenzy.

KARACHI:


The stock market declined on Wednesday as investors opted to book profits at a higher level.


The Karachi Stock Exchange’s (KSE) benchmark 100-share index fell 0.8 per cent or 98.5 points to end at 12,265.53 points.

Pakistan Oilfields, whose stock declined 4.88 per cent during the day witnessed massive selling and almost hit its 5% lower limit of the day as rumours spread of a dry well at Domail II, said JS Global analyst Mujtaba Barakzai.

Fertilisers continued to lose ground despite Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim‘s announcement of its first half earnings per share surging to Rs3.76 along with a second interim cash dividend of Rs2.25 per share. Engro followed its four-week old downtrend as the group’s high debt levels prompted continued selling.


Trade volumes rose to 61.22 million shares compared with Tuesday’s closing tally of 54.5 million shares. Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim lead the charts with 5.4 million shares closing at Rs 46.8 after a decline of Rs0.28. National Bank, one of the only survivors of today’s bearish spell on account of better expectations preceding upcoming results was second with 4.9 million shares traded by the end of the day at Rs54.91 with a rise of Rs0.53. Jahangir Siddiqui and Company was third with 4.4 million shares closing at Rs 6.92 after a decline of Rs0.39.

Shares of 380 companies were traded on Monday. At the end of the day 76 stocks closed higher, 176 declined while 128 remained unchanged. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs3.7 billion.

Foreign institutional investors were gross buyers of Rs287.9 million and gross sellers of Rs637 million during the trade session, according to data maintained by the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited.





Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2011.
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