Bears dominated the trading sessions during the week at the Karachi stock market due to intense selling pressure pushed by liquidity crunch, margin calls on brokers, Pak-India tensions and SECP calls on brokers’ clients’ records, analysts said on Saturday.
Other major factors included investor’s concern over December results announcement period and capital losses and liquidity crunch, which affected banking and mutual funds negatively.
The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) 100-share index lost 631.88 points or 10.3 percent to close at 5,511.93 points as compared with 6,143.81 points of the previous week. The average turnover was recorded at 129 million shares as compared to 173.6 million shares, reflecting a fall of 26 percent.
Analysts said just when the investors thought they were back in the game, as KSE appeared to have taken a U-turn moving upward, reversals started making way during the week.
The index showed wide fluctuations even within trading days amidst prevailing uncertainties. The 100 index broke the 6,000 points level yet again, shedding a sizable 632 points.
The miracles expected from the State Enterprise Fund (SEF) did not materialise. This is depicted by the fact that based on price changes there were 75 decliners, while only nine could make it to the advancers’ category.
The selling pressure can primarily be attributed to the institutional selling which is expected to have increased as financiers sell stocks pledged by the brokers who are now unable to fulfil margin requirements.
Analysts said Pakistan’s benchmark 100 index, during the outgoing week, broke the positive momentum carried forward from its previous week as it fell by 10.3 percent amid foreign selling. It fell below the psychological barrier of 6,000 points after a lacklustre performance to close at 5,512 points resulting in a new 4-year low. Market capitalisation of the bourse as a result, reached $22 billion, down 10.2 percent from last week.
Selling pressure during the outgoing week from foreigners was carried forward from its previous week as they bought shares worth only $14 million and sold $26.8 million, resulting in net selling of $12.8 million.
As a result, cumulative net selling for the month has now reached $62.3 million. Last year in 2008, net selling of $443 million was seen by offshore investors.
National Investment Trust (NIT) with its SEF has started buying shares at the KSE from Tuesday to provide much needed liquidity to the market.
The fund has not yet made its actual investment public in the eight government-owned stocks in which it will invest. However, it looks like the fund is buying gradually and slowly.
Analysts said distressed selling on mutual funds redemption calls, stock brokers margin calls and limited activity by NIT-SEF remained a major concern for investors while investor portfolio was affected by liquidity crunch and high CFS rates in the market.
Other major factors included investor’s concern over December results announcement period and capital losses and liquidity crunch, which affected banking and mutual funds negatively.
The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) 100-share index lost 631.88 points or 10.3 percent to close at 5,511.93 points as compared with 6,143.81 points of the previous week. The average turnover was recorded at 129 million shares as compared to 173.6 million shares, reflecting a fall of 26 percent.
Analysts said just when the investors thought they were back in the game, as KSE appeared to have taken a U-turn moving upward, reversals started making way during the week.
The index showed wide fluctuations even within trading days amidst prevailing uncertainties. The 100 index broke the 6,000 points level yet again, shedding a sizable 632 points.
The miracles expected from the State Enterprise Fund (SEF) did not materialise. This is depicted by the fact that based on price changes there were 75 decliners, while only nine could make it to the advancers’ category.
The selling pressure can primarily be attributed to the institutional selling which is expected to have increased as financiers sell stocks pledged by the brokers who are now unable to fulfil margin requirements.
Analysts said Pakistan’s benchmark 100 index, during the outgoing week, broke the positive momentum carried forward from its previous week as it fell by 10.3 percent amid foreign selling. It fell below the psychological barrier of 6,000 points after a lacklustre performance to close at 5,512 points resulting in a new 4-year low. Market capitalisation of the bourse as a result, reached $22 billion, down 10.2 percent from last week.
Selling pressure during the outgoing week from foreigners was carried forward from its previous week as they bought shares worth only $14 million and sold $26.8 million, resulting in net selling of $12.8 million.
As a result, cumulative net selling for the month has now reached $62.3 million. Last year in 2008, net selling of $443 million was seen by offshore investors.
National Investment Trust (NIT) with its SEF has started buying shares at the KSE from Tuesday to provide much needed liquidity to the market.
The fund has not yet made its actual investment public in the eight government-owned stocks in which it will invest. However, it looks like the fund is buying gradually and slowly.
Analysts said distressed selling on mutual funds redemption calls, stock brokers margin calls and limited activity by NIT-SEF remained a major concern for investors while investor portfolio was affected by liquidity crunch and high CFS rates in the market.
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