KARACHI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Rising political temperature kept equities at Pakistan's Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) under pressure on Tuesday where despite of improved volumes the main index inched down marginally as investors felt lack of confidence amid the Karachi-based political party's threat to part ways with the central government.
The benchmark KSE 100-Index inched down fractionally by 0.01 percent or 2.06 points to close at 15,373.46 levels on Tuesday as against close of 15,375.52 levels recorded on Monday.
The KSE All Share Index swelled by 0.11 points to end at 10,844. 47 levels, the KSE 30-Index moved up by 0.03 percent or 3.84 points to conclude at 12,966.95 levels, whereas the KMI 30-Index finished 0.01 percent or 2.68 points higher at 27,185.17 levels.
The Karachi Stock Exchange started Tuesday's trading on a mixed note where the main index moved in both ways before a buying rally helped it to cross the 15,400 levels and soon it achieved the intraday highest level of 15,444.27.
However, investors' reservations over the rising political tension between the top government allies, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), after the Karachi-based political party threatened leaving the coalition and gave PPP a three-day ultimatum, kept them at bay and the main index kept losing value during the rest of the day where towards the end of the session it touched the day's lowest level of 15,360.81 before closing just a shade higher.
Market volumes improved by 19.574 million shares to 105.354 million shares on Tuesday as against 85.780 million shares on Monday.
Market capitalization swelled by 42.726 million rupees (0.449 million U.S. dollars) to 3.8918 trillion rupees (40.9666 billion U. S. dollars) on Tuesday, compared with 3.8917 trillion rupees (40. 9661 billion U.S. dollars) reported the other day.
As per the figures released by the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited for Tuesday, the foreign investors came up with net selling of 102.267 million rupees (1.076 million U.S. dollars) as against Monday's net buying of 175.474 million rupees (1.847 million U.S. dollars).
In broader market, a total of 314 companies changed hands during the course of trading on Tuesday where prices of 154 issues ended in the red territory, 139 closed in green zone, whereas values of 21 other scrips stayed unchanged at the previous day's levels.
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited was the top traded company of the day with trading of 11.376 million shares in its scrip, followed by Maple Leaf Cement, Pak Elektron Limited, Fauji Cement, Dera Ghazi Khan Cement, and Karachi Electric Supply Company with turnovers of 7.247 million shares, 7.137 million shares, 5.310 million shares, 5.174 million shares, and 4.819 million shares, respectively.
Indus Dyeing was the top price gainer of the day with its per share price increasing by 19 rupees (2 U.S. cents) a share to close at 419 rupees (4.41 U.S. dollars) while UniLever Pakistan led the major price shedders with a decline of 300 rupees (3.15 U. S. dollars) per share to finish the day at 9,400 rupees (98.94 U.S. dollars).
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