Mixed sentiments prevailed on the Lahore Stock Exchange on Friday where equities moved both ways and finally settled in negative zone amid improved trading turnover. However, the LSE-25 index was improved by 43.05 points to end at 5462.32 against 5419.27 of Thursday while transaction volume was increased to 1.959 million shares compared with previous volume 1.585 million shares.
The market was opened on a positive note but stayed range-bound during first trading session. The market witnessed sharp rise in the second session following buying in banking sector shares like Askari Bank, Faysal Bank, Summit Bank, National Bank, and NIB Bank while Pak Elektron, K-Electric, Fauji Cement, PIA and Pace also performed well.
Ahead of close of trading, the investors preferred profit taking in oil sector shares like Shell Pakistan, OGDC, PSO, Byco Petroleum while Engro Foods, Pakistan Reinsurance, Sui Northern, Bank of Punjab, Bank of Alfalah and Dewan Farooq Motors also remained under pressure. The losers were slightly more than the gainers, as out of a total of 95 active issues, 12 companies registered gains, 14 remained weak while 69 companies were ended at their last day closing.
Pak Elektron gained Rs 1.03 while Askari Bank and Faysal Bank were up by 33-paisa and 30-paisa, respectively. In the minus column, Shell Pakistan lost Rs 13.48, OGDC was declined by Rs 10.12 while PSO and Engro Foods were down by Rs 4.15 and Rs 1.70, respectively. Fauji Cement with trading of 1.065 million shares topped the volume leaders followed by Bank of Punjab with 343,000 shares.