PSX Loses 335 Points as Profit-Taking Persists 

The 100-Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with bearish trend on Friday losing 335.34 points to close at 85,250.09 points.  A total of 323,919,892 shares were traded during the day as compared to 513,288,944 shares the previous trading day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 15.679 billion against Rs. 21.612 billion on the last trading day.   As many as 445 companies transacted their shares in the stock market, 170 of them recorded gains and 206 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 69 companies remained unchanged.   In a note brokerage house Topline Securities said that profit-taking persisted across various sectors. The index experienced pressure throughout the day, closing lower as investors booked gains after recent upward movements, it added.  The E&P and Fertilizer sectors were the major laggards, losing 225 and 206 points respectively, due to lower-than-expected corporate results, which weighed heavily on overall market sentiment, Topline said.  The three top trading companies were Pak Refinery with 28,461,850 shares at Rs. 23.88 per share, Hub Power Company with 19,742,481 shares at Rs. 102.34 per share and WorldCAll Telecom with 14,952,285 shares at Rs. 1.20 per share.   Sapphire Fibres Limited witnessed a maximum increase of Rs. 113.59 per share price, closing at Rs. 1,327.23, whereas the runner-up was Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited with Rs. 72.18 rise in its per share price to Rs. 1,196.82.   Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs. 101.84 per share closing at Rs 17,528.15 followed by Hallmark Company Limited with Rs. 29.60 decline to close at Rs. 846.61.