Foreign investors remained net sellers of shares worth $1.0 million. The market capitalization declined by Rs 21 billion to Rs 7.027 trillion. Out of total 350 active scrips, 227 closed in negative, 102 in positive while the value of 21 stocks remained unchanged.
Maple Leaf was the volume leader with 17.635 million shares. However, it declined by Rs 1.35 to close at Rs 29.39 followed by Fauji Cement that gained Re 0.05 to close at Rs 18.47 with 15.977 million shares.
Sanofi-Aventis and Sapphire Textile were the top gainers with Rs 48.30 and Rs 47.49, respectively to close at Rs 738.30 and Rs 827.49. Island Textile and Philip Morris Pak were the top losers with Rs 90.00 and Rs 76.97, respectively to close at Rs 1,310.00 and Rs 1,960.98. BR Automobile Assembler Index decreased by 41.47 points or 0.71 percent to close at 5,781.10 points with total turnover of 2.077 million shares.
BR Cement Index lost 26.05 points or 0.56 percent to close at 4,589.07 points with 65.651 million shares. BR Commercial Banks Index increased by 121.63 points or 1.38 percent to close at 8,912.66 points with 22.476 million shares.
BR Power Generation and Distribution Index inched up by 1.8 points or 0.04 percent to close at 4,888.39 points with 10.993 million shares.
BR Oil and Gas Index shed 32.27 points or 0.88 percent to close at 3,647.11 points with 36.718 million shares.
BR Tech. & Comm. Index closed at 943.01 points, down 21.15 points or 2.19 percent with 12.542 million shares. Ahsan Mehanti at Arif Habib Limited said that the stocks closed lower on investor concerns over foreign outflows and plunge in global crude oil prices. Reports of higher remittances in February 2020 and falling energy prices supported banking, autos and cement stocks.
He said investor concerns over the rupee instability and limited expectations for major change in the SBP key policy rate next week played a catalytic role in bearish close.