KARACHI - Amidst the worst losing streak in around 18 years, the Karachi bourse during the outgoing week, continued its falling trend for 15th straight day, which followed by the small investors storming out of the Karachi Stock Exchange, smashing windows and cursing regulators. During the outgoing week KSE-100 index nosedived by 12.5 per cent to 1,461 points on Week on Week basis and closed at 10,235 level on July 18, 2008. The planned settlements to support the investors and reversal of 5 per cent up and downward circuit breakers stimulated volumes activity on Friday, contributing to an increase in the average traded volumes in the outgoing week by 365 per cent to 115.6mn shares as compared to 24.8mn shares recorded last week. Foreign investment also took a flight during the week as the FIPI declined by US$15.47mn, further underlines that the reinstatement of the original locking mechanism allowed an exit to the investors. Stock market's continued downward journey at last invited the wrath of angry investors who attacked the exchange in protest, leaving at least two people injured. The protesters demanded a temporary closure of the KSE to stop further slides. It is down 14pc since Monday and reached an 18-month low this week. There were smaller protests in the cities of Islamabad and Lahore, where demonstrators burned tyres near the local exchanges. Following the protest, the KSE management hosted an emergency meeting of its members to discuss the current market scenario and proposed certain preliminary measures. A special off-market window facility was proposed to facilitate transactions for shares in the CFS list. Moreover, funds committed for the Equity Market Opportunity Fund (EMOF) will also to be used shortly to support the market. Experts were of the view that creation of the support fund can trigger major correction. The session provided exit to leveraged buyers by allowing them to sell at Thursday's closing rate. All the big market players along with institutions participated in this special session. Consequently, on Friday, initially market started positively and rose by 243 points, but could not sustain ending on a flat note. Analysts attributed the bearish sentiment prevailed over the last three weeks to the lower lock limit of 1 percent which restricted investor exit, the uncertain political conditions and deteriorating economic and law and order situation coupled with volatile Forex rates prevented significant positive activity in the market. "After 15 consecutive dull sessions, price limits were reverted back to 5 percent circuits on Monday. Resultantly, volumes increased sharply and some good activity was witnessed from local institutions, but continued selling from foreign investors and margin players kept index in the red zone," analysts said. Brokers said that investors had kept an eye at the meeting of SECP and KSE, held on July 16, 2008, expecting a positive outcome or an announcement but the meeting failed to manage the proposed Rs50 billion equity market fund, which further shattered the confidence of investors, as a result of which they had opted to protest next day. The market capitalization dropped by Rs.438 billion on week on week basis and stood at 3.196 trillion at the weekend. The free float KSE-30 index dived by 14.9 per cent to 1,998 points and close weekend at 11,407 points. Total CSF investment (CFS plus CFS MKII) decreased by 9.7 per cent WoW, ending the week at Rs27.23bn; CFS and CFS MKII contributed Rs15.9bn and Rs11.7bn respectively to the total CFS investment. CFS-Mk II, which started on 14 Jul-08, closed the week at a rate of 15.48 per cent. Top-5 scrips by investment in CFS MKII were JSCL, AHSL, NBP, POL, and ENGRO, contributing 45 per cent to the total investment. Remedial measures like formation of market support fund and continuation of the 5 per cent upper/lower limits may speed up activity in the market in the coming week. However, continued political uncertainty and volatile currency rates may keep investor sentiment dull, analysts said.