Bulls take a breather

Pakistan Stock Exchange Monday opened on strong positive note and the benchmark KSE-100 index crossed 43,000 to hit 43,082.62 intraday high. However, the index failed to sustain this level due to heavy selling pressure due of profit-taking, mainly by institutions. The index closed at 42,525.93, down 323.19 points.
Trading activity improved as the trading volumes at the ready counter increased to 554.304 million shares as compared 541.949 million shares traded in previous session. The market capitalisation declined by Rs 69 billion to stand at Rs 8.597 trillion. Out of the total 424 active scrips, 250 closed in negative, 161 in positive while the value of 13 stocks remained unchanged.
Bank of Punjab was the volume leader with 62.677 million shares. It gained Rs 0.22 to close at Rs 19.81 followed by P.I.A.C. (A) that inched up by Rs 0.20 to close at Rs 11.64 with 47.117 million shares. Summit Bank increased by Rs 0.45 to close at Rs 4.20 with 42.674 million shares.
Abbott Lab and Atlas Battery were the top gainers with Rs 22.50 and Rs 16.98, respectively to close at Rs 897.35 and Rs 859.90. Nestle Pakistan and Philip Morris Pak were the top losers with Rs 253.50 and Rs 83.89, respectively to close at Rs 8,310.50 and Rs 1,856.13.
An analyst at Global Securities said after three days winning streak of 735 points (last week change of 1005 points), the local bourse took a breather as buying support halted and index succumbed to selling pressure owing profit booking by major investors after breaching 43,000 level amid hearing of Panama papers in Supreme Court on Tuesday. UBL, HBL and Lucky remained the major losers possibly owing to freeing and institutional selling. Following international oil prices E&P sector also dragged the index down by 65 points. BAHL, ABOT and GHGL supported the index by 32 points.
Ahsan Mehanti at Arif Habib Corporation said that the index closed bearish amid institutional profit taking in the post earnings season. Dismal auto sales data for October 2016 fall in global crude prices below $44/barrel, weak global equities and renewed concerns over outcome of probe into Panama gate scandal played a catalyst role in bearish close.