The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended its Friday session on a positive note, with the benchmark 100-Index gaining 34.38 points. This small increase represents a change of 0.04%, with the index closing at 78,897.73 points, up from 78,863.34 on the previous trading day.
Despite the gains, trading remained subdued throughout the day. A total of 743.07 million shares were traded, marking a slight decline from the 770.51 million shares traded during the prior session. The value of shares traded also dropped, reaching Rs. 12.90 billion, down from Rs. 14.29 billion recorded on Thursday.
In total, 444 companies traded their shares on Friday. Of these, 185 recorded gains, 201 saw losses, and 58 remained unchanged. The top three trading companies included WorldCall Telecom, which saw 133.25 million shares traded at Rs. 1.42 per share, followed by Pace (Pak) Limited with 80.99 million shares at Rs. 6.14, and Kohinoor Spinning with 46.71 million shares at Rs. 9.52.
The day’s biggest gainer was Hallmark Company Limited, which witnessed a price increase of Rs. 98.21 per share, closing at Rs. 1,080.33. Nestle Pakistan Limited followed closely, rising by Rs. 82.50 per share to close at Rs. 6,997.50.
On the other hand, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited saw the largest price decline, dropping by Rs. 200 per share to close at Rs. 17,300.00. First Imrooz Modaraba also saw a significant loss, with its share price falling by Rs. 17.22 to close at Rs. 155.78.
Friday’s range-bound trading reflects cautious investor sentiment, with market participants closely monitoring economic conditions and geopolitical factors that could impact the local market. As the market adjusts to fluctuations in the economy, investors are keeping a close eye on key sectors and upcoming financial reports for further guidance.