The weighted average badla rate at Karachi Stock Exchange fell to 9.3 percent last week, from the level of 11.6 percent of the previous week, because of technical correction recorded at local capital market. The fall in the weighted average badla rate was aided by a 1.6 percent decline in equity prices on the first day of the week, and then a 61-point intra-day correction on November 3.
A highly liquid interbank money market also persisted during the week to contribute to the decline in badla rates.
On Friday, however, the interbank money market discounted by Rs 0.9 billion. But since the badla carried out was for a period of 6 days (due to upcoming holidays), badla financiers opted to lock in their positions, even at lower rates.
The weighted average badla rate at LSE also saw a decline, falling from 11.1 percent of previous Friday to 9.6 percent on last Friday.
Khalid Iqbal Siddiqui, research analyst from Investcapital Securities, said that the badla investment at KSE fell on a weekend to weekend basis, declining to Rs 25 billion on Friday, November 5, against the level of Rs 25.5 billion on previous Friday (October 29). The decline was caused mainly by decline in badla volumes, which fell from 455 million shares on the previous Friday to 440 million shares last Friday.
Looking at the individual scrips, the weak holders raised their appetite for PSO for long-term outlook, in which average badla investment improved by nearly 6 percent at Rs 3.6 billion amid decline in average badla rate of 8.4 percent, an analyst said.
Day traders also offloaded their positions in DG Khan in which average badla rate declined to 13.5 percent from 15 percent last week.
The news of POL involvement in the privatisation of NRL also triggered speculative buying in the scrip, as average investment increased to Rs 1.8 billion showing an upsurge of 4 percent.
Badla investment at LSE was also down marginally by Rs 0.1 billion on a weekend to weekend basis. It stood at Rs 2.6 billion last Friday, with the decline caused mainly due to 1.4 million shares reduction in badla volume.
Therefore, total badla investment at both bourses combined stood at Rs 27.6 billion last Friday, as against a level of Rs 28.2 billion on the previous Friday.
The implementation schedule for gradual withdrawal of COT from the local exchanges continued last week. On Friday, November 5, Picic Commercial Bank was taken off the list of COT eligible securities.
Following the Eid holidays on November 19, Telecard will be the next stock to be removed from the list. "We believe that badla rates are likely to continue to remain stable going forward, with no major fluctuations expected.