PSX Closing Bell: A Soft Step Up

According to Mettis Global, Pakistan's benchmark KSE-100 index ended Thursday's session at 174,929.68, up 153.09 points or 0.09 per cent. Buyers returned to battered cement and financial shares after Wednesday's broad sell-off, helping the market recover some lost ground. Appetite for risk kept the index positive even though oil and power shares stayed under pressure.

The index stayed in positive territory through the session, reaching an intraday high of 175,796.24 before dipping to a low of 174,893.67. Turnover in the benchmark reached 192.17 million shares. Cement, investment companies and fertilizer stocks led the rise, with ENGROH, LUCK and NBP among the biggest point contributors.

Among individual stocks, PGLC gained 9.99 per cent and PAEL rose 3.55 per cent, while BNWM fell 2.75 per cent to lead the decliners. The All-Share Index closed at 106,206.57, with traded value at Rs25.19bn, down Rs6.67bn. Fifty-seven of the 100 index companies advanced, 42 declined and one was unchanged. The index is 2.98 per cent lower for the fiscal year but up 0.50 per cent so far this calendar year.