PSX Market Update: Rollercoaster Ride as Investors Keep Eyes on Monetary Policy

In today's trading session, the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 62,773.72, experiencing a decline of 1,039.34 points or 1.63%. The spotlight remained on the Monetary Policy Committee meeting, where the central bank opted to maintain the policy rate at 22% for the fifth consecutive meeting.

Throughout the session, the index displayed a negative trend, reaching an intraday high of 63,792.84 (-20.22) and a low of 62,717.71 (-1,095.35) points. The total volume of the KSE-100 index reached 162.232 million shares.

Among the 100 index companies, 18 concluded on a positive note, 74 witnessed a decline, 2 remained unchanged, and 6 were untraded. Sectors such as Oil & Gas Exploration Companies, Fertilizer, Commercial Banks, Power Generation & Distribution, and Technology & Communication contributed to the decline in the KSE-100 index.

Conversely, the index found support from sectors like Tobacco, Insurance, Engineering, Inv. Banks / Inv. Cos. / Securities Cos., and Property.

Key contributors to the index's downward movement included EFERT, PPL, MARI, OGDC, and HUBC. On the positive side, companies like BAHL, PAKT, UPFL, INDU, and AICL added points to the index.

In the broader market, the All-Share index concluded at 42,677.44, registering a net loss of 535.66 points. The total market volume was 317.577 million shares, showing a decrease from the previous session, while the traded value recorded at Rs10.69 billion reflected a decrease of Rs5.52 billion.

The market witnessed 143,251 trades involving 347 companies. Among these, 72 companies closed higher, 253 closed lower, and 22 remained unchanged.

Notably, the KSE-100 demonstrated a robust performance during the fiscal year, gaining 21,321 points or 51.43%. However, the ongoing calendar year saw a more modest cumulative increase of 323 points, equivalent to 0.52%.