Stock market ends 2024 with historic 84pc gain
The KSE-100 index closed its final trading session of 2024 at 115,127 points on Tuesday, down 0.11 per cent (132 points), as profit-taking in key sectors trimmed gains from earlier in the day. Banks, fertilisers and exploration and productionstocks saw selling pressure, with companies like Fauji Fertiliser Company, MCB Bank, Bank Al Habib, Bank Alfalah and Engro Corporation leading the decline, losing 424 points collectively. Despite the slight dip on the last session of the year, the KSE-100 ended 2024 with an unprecedented 84pc gain, the highest annual return in 22 years, driven by improved economic conditions and a stable political environment, the brokerage house Topline Research said. The index added 52,676 points in 2024, making it the second-best performing market globally in US dollar terms, behind Argentina, according to Bloomberg data.