ECONOMIC NEWS
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) started the new business week with a slight upward movement, as investors traded cautiously ahead of major economic signals expected in the coming days.
In early Monday trading, the benchmark KSE-100 index inched up by 339.45 points to reach 167,017.14, marking a mild 0.2% improvement from the previous closing figure of 166,677.69.
Market participants remain conservative as they await the outcome of an upcoming IMF meeting, where Pakistan is likely to receive final approval for the release of a $1.2 billion loan installment. This development, along with the State Bank of Pakistan’s forthcoming monetary policy announcement, has encouraged investors to adopt a watch-and-wait strategy.
Last Friday, however, momentum was stronger, with the index climbing by 1,304.39 points — a gain of 0.79% — to finish at 166,677.70, up from 165,373.31 a day earlier.
Trading volume also saw an increase, with 592.74 million shares exchanged in the ready market compared to 498.36 million previously. The total market value rose to Rs41.96 billion, significantly higher than Rs30.59 billion recorded in the prior session. Market capitalization expanded as well, moving from Rs18.744 trillion to Rs18.866 trillion.
Among the 478 actively traded companies, 238 posted gains, 199 recorded losses, and 41 remained unchanged, reflecting a mixed but generally stable trading environment.
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