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KSE-100 index plunges over 650 points on fears of monetary tightening

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  • KSE-100 index closes at 42,440.25 after losing 1.53%.
  • Delay in tough economic decisions and political uncertainty have unnerved investors.
  • Shares of 314 companies were traded during the session.

KARACHI: The benchmark KSE-100 index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) plunged on Monday, the first day of the rollover week, as an across-the-board selling spree pushed share prices into the red zone.

The delay in tough economic decisions by the coalition government and heightened political uncertainty has unnerved investors. Moreover, the Pakistani rupee remains in a downward spiral with the US dollar gaining another 0.39% on Monday to close at 200.93.

The index remained jittery over concerns regarding monetary policy tightening which was to be announced after the session.

It is worth mentioning that contrary to market expectations the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) raised the benchmark interest rate by 150 basis points to 13.75% for the next six weeks in order to stabilise inflation and economic growth.

Moreover, uncertainty regarding the ongoing talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission for the revival of the stalled multibillion-dollar programme took a toll on the market.

At close, the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 42,440.25 after losing 660.46 points or 1.53%.

A report from Arif Habib Limited noted that the market witnessed a bloodbath session as investors remained bearish throughout the day.

“The benchmark KSE-100 index nosedived from the beginning of the session as an increase in the political noise over the weekend and uncertainty regarding resumption of IMF programme along with continued depreciation of Pakistani rupee against the US dollar and rate hike in the Monetary policy, shattered investors’ confidence,” the report noted.

The brokerage house noted that the volumes remained dull on the mainboard although hefty volumes were observed in third-tier stocks.

Sectors contributing to the performance included cement (-120.8 points), fertiliser (-89 points), exploration and production (-79.9 points), technology (-72.5 points), and banks (-63.1 points)

Shares of 314 companies were traded during the session. At the close of trading, 48 scrips closed in the green, 250 in the red, and 16 remained unchanged.

Overall trading volumes rose to 118.98 million shares compared with Friday’s tally of 189.92 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs3.57 billion.

Silk Bank was the volume leader with 9.97 million shares traded, gaining Rs0.04 to close at Rs1.32. It was followed by WorldCall Telecom with 7.62 million shares traded, losing Rs0.09 to close at Rs1.50 and K-Electric with 6.12 million shares traded, losing Rs0.08 to close at Rs2.50.

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Pakistan Looks To China For Investment In Important Sectors: SIFC Encourages New Chinese Projects

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Due to the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s assistance, Chinese businessmen are showing a revived interest in Pakistan. Pakistan has recently sent high-ranking delegations to China to promote investment in industries such as renewable energy, medical equipment, leather, plastics, textiles, and plastics.

At port Qasim in Karachi, the Chinese solar panel manufacturer “Renesola Pakistan” intends to set up an assembly plant capable of producing up to 4 gigawatts of solar energy. An electric bike, scooter, and tricycle assembly plant is planned to be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the Xiamen Sino-Pak International consulting and investment firm.

Pakistan’s renewable energy sector is of interest to Hexing Electrical, and the Ruyi Shandong Group intends to develop textile parks that meet international standards. Pakistan will also see the establishment of factories by Rainbow Industries Limited and Shaoxing Chemical Industry.

An exploration memorandum on shale and tight gas potential has been inked by the oil and gas development business and CCDI.

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Pakistan experiences an increase in cement exports.

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Relative to 570,692 tons in the same month last year, the data that was made public shows that the exports increased by 71.52 percent to 978,871 tons.

Still, domestic cement sales were down 18% in September 2024, continuing the downward trend.

The month’s total cement sales were 3.540 million tons, down from 3.751 million tons in September 2023, a 5.63 percent annual decline.

In terms of total sales, domestic sales decreased by 19.78 percent to 8.130 million tons between July and September of 2024.

At the same time, 2.140 million tons of cement were exported, a 22.19 percent increase. Even while exports have increased, domestic sales have decreased for the fourth straight month.

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Pakistan’s deposit protection program now covers one million rupees.

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An increase in the guarantee sum for qualified depositors of member banks was announced by the Deposit Protection Corporation (DPC) on Tuesday. The increase was from Rs500,000 to Rs1 million.

All of the eligible depositors across the country would be afforded complete protection as a result of this improvement, which was approved by the board of directors of the DPC.

The decision was made with the intention of protecting the interests of depositors and fostering financial stability inside the country, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

A whopping 77.7 million accounts held by member banks are now protected by the DPC as a result of this revised guarantee. This contributes to the protection of about 96% of the total account holders in the banking sector, which equates to approximately 80 million personal accounts.

A number of experts considered that the DPC’s guarantee was insufficient in protecting depositors, particularly during times of economic uncertainty. Previously, the DPC’s guarantee was restricted to a maximum of Rs500,000.

It is anticipated that the decision to raise the limit will boost the trust of depositors and encourage a greater number of persons to interact with the banking system. This means that the decision comes at a vital time.

To ensure that access to this safety net is uncomplicated and uncomplicated, it is important to note that the deposit protection facility is accessible to all eligible depositors at no additional cost.

To emphasize the significance of preserving a healthy banking environment, the guarantee will not be activated until the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) declares a bank to be a failed organization.

The State Bank of Pakistan, also known as SBP Bank Bank depositors are protected by deposit protection charges (DPC) Deposit rates

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