Bulls stage comeback at PSX on Ishaq Dar’s cues

• Investors cheer Dar’s assurance Pakistan will not seek debt restructuring from Paris club.
• Benchmark KSE-100 index traded between hope and despair.
• Investors kept a close watch on SBP’s decision on monetary policy.

KARACHI: The bulls staged a comeback at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday cheering Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s assurance that Pakistan will not seek debt restructuring from the Paris club.

Constant assurance from the top leadership that Pakistan will not seek debt restructuring from Paris Club creditor nations enticed market participants. 

Moreover, Dar dismissed market rumours that the government might extend maturities for its bonds, saying that the country will fulfil all multilateral, international and bond obligations.

The benchmark KSE-100 index traded between hope and despair, which eventually let loose the bulls, who pulled the bourse into the green.

Investors kept a close watch on the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision on the monetary policy — which was later kept unchanged at 15% for the next seven weeks.

The KSE-100 index gained since the morning bell rang, but some dips were seen at regular intervals. The downtrend turned steeper at midday bulls managed to regain control.

The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 42,211.64 points with an increase of 126.39 points or 0.30%.

Topline Securities in its post-market commentary noted that the KSE-100 index largely traded in the positive zone due to Dar’s statement regarding Pakistan not planning to seek a debt restructuring.

Shares of 336 companies were traded during the session. At the close of trading, 161 scrips closed in the green, 149 in the red, and 26 remained unchanged.

Overall trading volumes declined to 240.19 million shares compared with Friday’s tally of 313.34 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs10.53 billion.

Worldcall Telecom was the volume leader with 31.15 million shares traded, gaining Rs0.03 to close at Rs1.63. It was followed by Pak Elektron with 27.14 million shares traded, gaining Rs1.21 to close at Rs17.45 and TRG Pakistan with 26.74 million shares gaining Rs7.29 to close at Rs151.43.