PSX ends lower, lacks market triggers

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended Friday's session on a weak note as the KSE-100 index dropped 834 points, or 0.51%, to close at 162,103 amid dull, range-bound trading and low volumes. Market reviewers noted the absence of fresh triggers, with the index oscillating between gains and losses before coming under pressure near close. Fertiliser, oil and cement stocks led the decline, while HBL, The Bank of Punjab (BOP) and Fatima Fertiliser provided limited support. Trading volumes remained robust at around 768 million shares, led by WorldCall, K-Electric and Bank Makramah, while foreign investors offloaded Rs247 million worth of equities. "Range-bound activity was observed for most part of the trading session as the index traded between positive and negative zones with low volumes," noted Topline Securities in its market review.