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PSX sinks below 41,000 amid political uncertainty

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2 years ago

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  • KSE-100 sheds over 300 points as bears resort to stock selling.
  • Depreciation of rupee further dented investor interest.
  • Decent volumes were observed on the mainboard.

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday lost ground in the face of political uncertainty that grew with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on December 23.

The benchmark KSE-100 index shed over 300 points as bears resorted to stock selling due to emerging political developments.

The market came under selling pressure, which persisted throughout the trading session, dragging the index below the 41,000- point mark. Depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar further dented investor interest.

Earlier, the session kicked off on a positive note, however, the market dipped within an hour of trade. It remained under selling pressure, touching an intra-day low of 40,814.95 points.

At close, the benchmark KSE-100 index recorded a decrease of 330.66 points, or 0.80%, to settle at 40,970.82.

Arif Habib Limited, in its post-market commentary, noted that the week started on a negative note at the PSX due to the ongoing political uncertainty, which kept investors squaring up their position in the market, with the index shedding 486.53 points during the intraday.

Decent volumes were observed on the mainboard although third-tier stocks remained in the spotlight.

Sectors contributing to the performance included power generation and distribution (-53.5 points), fertiliser (-51.5 points), technology and communication (-51.5 points), exploration and production (-47.1 points), automobile assembler (-33.7 points).

Shares of 317 companies were traded during the session. At the close of trading, 82 scrips closed in the green, 220 in the red, and 15 remained unchanged.

Overall trading volumes rose to 142.57 million shares compared with Friday’s tally of 139.65 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs3.81 billion.

Bank AlFalah was the volume leader with 29.01 million shares traded, losing Rs0.07 to close at Rs30.68. It was followed by WorldCall Telecom Limited with 12.44 million shares traded, losing Rs0.04 to close at Rs1.23 and Hascol Petrol with 9.45 million shares losing Rs0.71 to close at Rs6.09.

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Irfan Siddiqui meets with the PM and informs him about the Senate performance of the parliamentary party.

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The head of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and the PML-N’s parliamentary leader paid Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a visit in Islamabad.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Parliamentary Party’s Senate performance.

Additionally, Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ performance.

He complimented the Prime Minister on his outstanding efforts to bring Pakistan’s economy back on track and meet its economic objectives.

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Business

SIFC Increases Direct Foreign Investment: Investment in the Energy Sector Rises by 120%

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The Special Investment Facilitation Council is intended to help Pakistan’s energy sector attract $585.6 million in direct foreign investment in 2024–2025. The amount invested at the same time previous year was $266.3 million.

This is a notable 120% rise, mostly due to investments in gas exploration, oil, and power. Such expansion indicates heightened investor confidence and emphasizes the development potential in important areas.

The State Bank reports that foreign investment in other vital industries has increased by 48% to $771 million.

This advancement is a blatant testament to SIFC’s efficient investment procedure and quick project execution.

The purpose of the Special Investment Facilitation Council is to establish Pakistan as an investment hub by aggressively promoting regional trade and investment in the energy sector and other critical industries.

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Business

Discos report losses of Rs239 billion.

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When compared to the same period last year, the data indicates that discos have decreased their losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

The distribution businesses recorded losses of Rs239 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year, a substantial decrease from the Rs308 billion losses sustained during the same period the previous year.

Additionally, the distribution businesses’ rate of recovery has improved. It has increased to 91% in the first quarter of this year from 84% in the same period last year, indicating success in revenue collection.

Regarding circular debt, the Power division observed a notable change. Last year, between July and October, the circular debt grew by Rs301 billion. Nonetheless, this year’s first four months saw a relatively modest increase in circular debt, totaling about Rs11 billion.

These enhancements show promising developments in the electricity sector’s financial health in Pakistan, where initiatives are being made to accelerate recovery rates and slow the expansion of circular debt.

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