PSX Closing Bell: Little Gains, Longer Streak

Mettis Link News reported that the benchmark KSE-100 ended Friday 233.55 points higher, a gain of 0.14 per cent, at 166,419.71. Selective purchases in banking and technology counters kept the index in positive territory. Easing oil prices also provided a supportive backdrop for the session.

Crude prices dipped early as traders weighed heightened Middle East friction alongside reports that the US might loosen restrictions on some oil tankers. The prospect of looser shipping rules offered some relief on global supply worries, though geopolitical uncertainty persisted.

Intraday trading spanned 751.85 points, from a low of 165,956.51 to a high of 166,708.36. Volume reached 133.15 million shares, and 54 index companies closed up while 45 closed down and one stayed untraded. BNWM topped the advancers after a 10.01 per cent jump, while PTC slipped 2.65 per cent among the main decliners. Over the fiscal year the index has lost 13,882 points or 7.70 per cent, while it is down 7,635 points or 4.39 per cent in the calendar year so far.