KARACHI (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index witnessed bearish trend on Wednesday, losing 476.02 more points, a negative of 0.32 percent, closing at 146,529.31 points against 147,005.32 points last trading day.
A total of 647,094,379 shares were traded during the day as compared to 691,658,929 shares the previous trading day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 40.896 billion against Rs 44.579 billion on the last trading day.
As many as 487 companies transacted their shares in the stock market, 199 of them recorded gains and 240 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 48 companies remained unchanged.
The three top trading companies were Yousuf Weaving with 51,807,110 shares at Rs 6.14 per share, Aisha Steel Mill with 48,592,372 shares at Rs12.92 per share and Bank of Punjab with 33,751,962 shares at Rs 14.26 per share.
Hoechst Pakistan Limited witnessed a maximum increase of Rs 201.10 per share price, closing at Rs 3,225.80, whereas the runner-up was Sindh Abadgars Sugar Mills Limited with Rs28.52 rise in its per share price to Rs 313.67.
PIA Holding Company LimitedB witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs328.13 per share closing at Rs 28,671.87 followed by Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited with Rs61.61 decline in its share price to close at Rs31,959.00.
Meanwhile, in the future market, as many as 323 companies traded shares in the market out of which 149 witnessed gain, 168 loss where the prices of 6 companies remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, the confidence of Pakistan’s private businesses has surged in the country’s direction to its highest level in nearly four years, according to Gallup Pakistan’s latest survey.
Also, an increasing number of businessmen have started thinking that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government is managing Pakistan’s economy better than the previous government of his counterpart Imran Khan.
The improvement comes despite inflation, high utility costs, and electricity load-shedding continue to hinder business operations.
The Gallup’s business confidence survey for Q2 2025 was conducted between July 23 and 27 and captured the views of 524 businesses of Pakistan across manufacturing, services, and trade sectors. The standout finding from this quarter is a significant rebound in perceptions of the country’s overall direction. Gallup’s “Direction of the Country Score” now stands at -2 percent, a dramatic improvement from the far more pessimistic readings of late 2024.