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Karachi Stock Exchange on Monday ended lower because of profit-taking in overbought stocks. The benchmark KSE-100 index lost 20.37 points to close at 16,787.54 points from 16,808 points. On the first day of trading, market opened in green zone and the KSE-100 index gained some 80 points in initials hours, however, later market closed in bearish trend followed by selling pressure and profit taking in selected sectors.

The index also hit 16,888.74 point intraday high level and a low level of 16,777.49 points. The trading activity was remained dull as some 189.405 million shares were traded at ready counter compared to 313.427 million shares traded in last trading session. Some 357 companies' shares were traded, out of which 140 closed in positive and 197 in negative, while the share price of 20 stocks was remained unchanged. The market capitalisation also declined by Rs 7.142 billion to Rs 4.21 trillion from Rs 4.217 trillion on Friday.

Among top 10 active scrips, Maple Leaf Cement was the volume leader with 28.4 million shares and its price was up by Re 0.48 to Rs 13.91 per share. Share price of Lotee Pak PTA lost Re 0.25 to close at Rs 7.94 with turnover of 16.89 million shares. With share trading of 12.59 million shares, Fauji Cement price declined to Rs 6.58 from Rs 6.73.

Share price of Sui North Gas was down by Rs 1.27 to Rs 24.25 and it's some 11.8 million shares were traded. With a turnover of 11.2 million shares, KESC gained Re 0.16 to close at Rs 6.77. With an increase of Re. 0.18, share price of Jah Sidd Co closed at Rs 17.83, while it's some seven million shares were traded.

Share price of Askari Bank up by Re 0.30 to close at Rs 17.07 with trading volume of 5.7 million shares. National Bank of Pakistan lost Rs 1.27 to Rs 49.30 and its turnover stood at five million. Share price of Byco Petroleum stood at Rs 11.18, down by Re 0.09, with 4.8 million shares. Some 3.3 million shares of Azgard Nine were traded and it lost Re 0.26 to close Rs 8.63.

Nestle Pakistan and Rafhan Maiz Product were highest gainers and their share price was gone up Rs 40 and Rs 40 to close at Rs 4,840 and Rs 3,850 per share respectively. Bata Pak and Pak Gum and Chemical were worst looser and declined by Rs 4.99 and Rs 4.56 to close at Rs 1,610 and Rs 168.54 per share respectively.

Ahsan Mehanti an analyst at Arif Habib said that on Monday stocks closed in bearish trend on institutional profit taking in overbought stocks. Trade remained in narrow range amid profit taking was in stocks across the board, he added. "Fall in energy sales data, falling country's foreign exchange reserves and limited foreign interest played a catalyst role in bearish sentiments at KSE despite hopes for rate cut in upcoming SBP policy announcement," he mentioned.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012


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