KSE-100 Index Gains 467 Points to Close Above 117,500 Points  

After opening on a negative note on Friday, the benchmark KSE-100 Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed 467 points higher as buying activity picked up in the second half of the trading session.  The Index declined to an intraday low of -1,540 points before closing at 117,587 points, up 467 points or 0.40 percent.  Brokerage house Topline Securities said the negative start was led by pressure in cement sector due to noise that there is dispute among cement manufacturers for increase in market share and change in geographic sales to fetch higher retention price where some players are reportedly encroaching on the volumes of others, creating unease within the sector.   Top positive contribution to the index came from fertilizer sector as EFERT, FFC, DAWH and ENGRO cumulatively contributed 911 points to the index. The interest in fertilizer sector was on account of expectation of increase in dispatch number by 53 percent MoM for the month of December 2024, the brokerage house said.  A total of 935,783,268 shares were traded during the day as compared to 1,037,862,969 shares the previous trading day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 39.62 billion against Rs. 46.57 billion on the last trading day.    455 companies transacted their shares in the stock market today with 166 recording gains and 246 sustaining losses, whereas the share price of 43 companies remained unchanged.