LSE index loses 19.15 points

Equities on Thursday remained weak and suffered losses amid bearish sentiments on the Lahore Stock Exchange. The LSE-25 index lost 19.15 points to 5680.33 against 5699.48 of Wednesday while transaction volume decreased to 423,900 shares compared with the day earlier volume of 537,400 shares. The market opened on a depressed note and sharply declined in the absence of investors' interest.
Later, buying in Attock Refinery, Hascol Petroleum, Millat Petroleum, Crescent & Steel Allied, Pace Pakistan, Summit Bank, Bank of Punjab, Silk Bank and Descon Chemicals helped market recovery. But last hour profit taking in Pak Elektron, Nishat Mills, Dewan Farooq Motors, Samin Textile Mills, Byco Petroleum, Agriauto Industries, Sui Northern, Sui Southern, PIA and Power Cement again dragged the market into negative zone.
The losers were more than the gainers, as out of 86 active issues, 13 companies registered gains, 17 stayed in negative column while 56 companies remained unchanged at their previous closing. Attock Refinery gained Rs 5.12, Hascol Petroleum appreciated Rs 3.71 while Millat Tractors and Crescent Steel & Allied were up by Rs 2.83 and Rs 2.77, respectively. Pak Elektron lost Rs 2.32, Nishat Mills shed Rs 1.50 while Dewan Farooq Motors was down by 33-paisa. Pace Pakistan with trading of 105,000 shares topped the volume leaders while Dewan Salman Fibre stayed as runner up with 57,000 shares.