KARACHI - Bulls ruled the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on weekend, taking the benchmark KSE-100-index up by 565 points to close at 41,064 level. Market witnessed recovery in today's trading session as value investors took the opportunity to buy stocks at attractive prices, brokers said.
Some of the major gainers for the day were MCB (up 2.7pc), HBL (gain 1.7pc), OGDC (up 1.7pc), POL (up 2.2pc) and LUCK (up 2.1pc) that cumulatively contributed 183 points to the benchmark index gain. A rally was witnessed in the cement sector where heavyweights LUCK (up 2.1pc), DGKC (rose 2.4pc), FCCL (up 2.4pc) and CHCC (gain 2.5pc) closed in green. E&P sector closed higher than its previous day close as crude oil prices remained on higher levels. POL (up 2.2pc) and OGDC (up 1.7pc) were the major gainers of the sector, stated dealer at JS Global.
Stocks closed bullish in the post earning season rally at PSX as investors weigh on oil, banking and cement stocks amid higher global crude prices, rising local cement prices and higher regulatory duties on luxury imports, said analyst at Arif Habib Crop.
Foreign inflow, upbeat CPI inflation data for October and investor interest on renewed foreign inflows. Institutional interest in oversold fertiliser scrips amid speculations on likely upbeat data for October 2017 played catalyst role in bullish close at PSX, he added. Volumes stood at 115 million shares, while value slightly increased to Rs6.8 billion/$64.5 million. WTL from the technology sector led the volume charts with 15 million shares changing hands.
Scrips of total 372 active companies were traded in the session of which 266 closed in advance, 87 in decline while 19 remained unchanged.