Index down 27.68 points

After witnessing mixed trend on Monday, the KSE-100 index closed at 9,895.46 points with a loss of 27.68 points. The market opened on a positive note and the index hit 9,953.29 points, up 30.15 points. However, the momentum could not continue due to investors'' cautious stance, and the index failed to sustain 9,900 points psychological level.
Trading also shrank, and the volume at ready counter declined to 175.506 million shares as compared to 204.825 million shares traded on Friday. Market capitalisation declined by Rs 6 billion to Rs 2.844 trillion. Of 385 active scrips, 183 closed in negative and 180 in positive while the value of 22 scrips remained unchanged.
Lotte Pakistan was the volume leader with 23.706 million shares and gained Re. 0.58 to close at Rs 9.55. Fauji Fertiliser Bin Qasim increased by Re. 0.94 to close at Rs 31.01 with 17.884 million shares. PTCL inched up by Re. 0.10 to close at Rs 20.29 with 14.842 million shares. Telecard closed at Rs 3.68, up by Re. 0.60 with 12.638 million shares.
Jahangir Siddiqui Co gained Re. 0.32 to close at Rs 31.61 with 12.251 million shares. Nishat (Chunian) lost Re. 0.27 to close at Rs 24.59 with 11.663 million shares. NBP and Bank Al Falah gained Re. 0.39 and 0.01 to close at Rs 82.56 and Rs 14.00 with 7.876 million shares and 7.537 million shares respectively. Azgard Nine increased by Re. 0.31 to close at Rs 22.03 with 5.082 million shares. Arif Habib Sec declined by Re. 0.27 to close at Rs 48.67 with 4.313 million shares.
Dreamworld and Clariant Pak were the highest gainers and increased by Rs 29.50 and Rs 8.67 to close at Rs 619.50 and Rs 182.08 respectively, while Unilever Food and Unilever Pakistan were the worst losers and declined by Rs 54.35 and Rs 49.39 to close at Rs 1295.65 and Rs 2500.17 respectively.
Ahsan Mehanti at Shehzad Chamdia Securities said that bearish activity was witnessed at the share market as federal Finance Minister indicated levy of capital gain tax (CGT) on Pakistan bourse from next fiscal year. The OGDC gas production reduction in Qadirpur field on compressor installation delays, fall in international oil prices near to $78 and profit taking by retail and institutional investors played a catalyst role in negative activity, he added.