The benchmark KSE-100 Index ended its losing streak with a gain of 230 points on Wednesday, but amid lower volume and value of shares traded.

The market opened on a positive note and maintained the run throughout the session with minor profit-taking. Interest was seen in the cement, technology, and auto sectors.

At close, the KSE-100 Index settled with a gain of 229.97 points or 0.50% to finish at 46,629.88 points.

Positive sentiment was developed amid reports that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to provide Pakistan fresh assistance for various development projects, particularly, in the sectors of urban services, disaster risk reduction and policy-based programmes in the next five years.

On the economic front, the government closed the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year (July-September 2021) with a budget deficit of 0.8% or in absolute terms Rs438 billion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Finance Ministry.

On the corporate front, Service Fabrics Limited on Wednesday said that it considers the placement of its shares in the defaulter's segment by the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as a "unilateral" interpretation of PSX's regulations.

Amid IMF uncertainty, KSE-100 suffers 715-point fall

Meanwhile, volume on the all-share index decreased significantly to 320.33 million on Wednesday from 434.69 million on Tuesday. The value of the shares trade also declined, amounting to Rs10.65 billion from Rs14.27 billion on Monday.

First National Equities was the volume leader with 39.04 million shares, followed by Service Fabrics with 30.49 million shares, and Ghani Global Holdings with 23.78 million shares.

Shares of 340 companies were traded on Wednesday, of which 183 registered an increase, 134 recorded a fall, while 23 remained unchanged.