Pakistan equities closed Monday on a negative note with benchmark KSE-100 Index losing 391 points, closing at 36,902 levels, down 1 percent.
The local bourse remained volatile throughout the trading session making a high and a low of +187 & -453 points, respectively. From the Oil Marketing Company (OMC) sector, Sui Northern Gas pipelines Limited (SNGP) (+0.1%) closed positive after announcing an EPS of Rs17.54 and a cash dividend of Rs5.55/share. However, Hi-Tech Lubricants Limited (HTL) (-5%) from the same sector closed limit down after announcing nine months FY19 LPS of Rs4.07 and no cash payout.
Furthermore, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) (-2.2%) also announced nine month FY19 EPS of Rs15.15 against EPS Rs33.80 (SPLY) with a dividend of Rs5/share. From the Auto sector, GHNI (-5%) and GHNL (-5%) both closed limit down after announcing nine months FY19 results.
Overall pressure was seen in Banks where Habib Bank Limited (HBL) (-2.8%), MCB Bank (-1.2%) and United Bank Limited (UBL) (-0.6%) were the major laggards.
Habib Metropolitan Bank (HMB) (+0.1%) reported its first quarter 2019 consolidated EPS of Rs1.45 against Rs1.50 (SPLY) with no cash payout.
Lucky Cement (-1.6%) was the major laggard in the Cement sector. HBL (-2.8%), PPL (-1.1%), MCB (-1.2%), LUCK (-1.6%), FFC (-1.1%), HUBC (-0.9%) and OGDC (-0.6%) were top scrip to cumulatively contributed -159 points to the negative closing.
Traded value stood at $31 million, down 33 percent and volume stood at 126 million shares, down 29 percent. Furthermore, major contribution to total market volume came from Lotte Chemical (+6.6%), K Electric (-4.4%), SNGP (+0.1%) and Pak Elektron (PAEL) (-4.4%).
Danish Ladhani, an equity analyst, expects market to remain choppy and volatile ahead and recommend investors to stay cautious in the short run ahead of International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting.