Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) benchmark kse-100 index fell flat on Tuesday, following selling pressure in the last hour of the session as investors resorted to profit-taking. The index closed 0.04% lower to clock at 43,250.84 level, after early rally lifted the index past 43,700 mark after almost two years and 5 months. On Tuesday, the index witnessed strong investor participation across the mainboard stocks, and gained around 450 points intraday to touch its intra-day high at 43,709.71. However, late selling pressure plunged kse-100 index to touch its intra-day low at 43,126.48 after losing 139.74 points, following across the board profit taking. The early gains were witnessed in Exploration and Production stocks,as international crude oil prices maintained yesterday’s level. Meanwhile, fertilizers, cement and steel sectors are also contributing positively to the index, to the potential of opening up of economy on Covid-19 vaccine hopes, as investors’ sentiments were lifted after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s National Task Force on Science and Technology Chairperson Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, saidcoronavirus vaccine will be available in Pakistan in the next two months. During the day, the market investors are also reactedto the developments on the political front. The much hyped political noise was dampened after opposition alliance led by 11 political parties under the umbrella of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) failed to show an impressive power show on the weekend. The abysmal power show by the opposition alliance sent a sense of certainty among the investors, who were on the edge ever since the opposition alliance kick started mass movement against the government. Investors’ sentiments were also buoyed by China’s decision to bail out Pakistan as it has agreed to immediately provide $1.5 billion financing line to repay the $2 billion Saudi Arabia debt. According to media reports, out of $2 billion, Pakistan was set to return the $1 billion on Monday, while the remaining $1 billion is due in January. According to the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL), foreign investors remained net sellers of worth 0.98 million worth of equities. While, among local investors, the selling table was led by Companies which offloaded $1.96 million worth of equities, followed by Insurance companies which sold $1.24 million worth of equities. However, the buying table was led by Mutual Funds, which bought $2.08 million worth of equities, followed by Banks which raked in $1.02 million of equities. The volume at Kse-100 index increased from 337.63 million shares from the previous session to 405 millionshares, while the over-all market volumes also surged from 629.52 million shares in the previous sessionto 702 million shares. The volume chart was led by Pakistan Refinery Limited followed by Hascol Petroleum Limited and Azgard Nine Limited. The scrips exchanged exchanging 64.43 million, 62.87 million and 42.66 million shares, respectively. Sectors, which dented the index were, were Cement with 60 points, Oil & Gas Exploration Companies with 58 points, Power Generation & Distribution with 44 points, Technology & Communication with 27 points and Refinery with 18 points. Among the scrips, the most points taken off the index was by Hub Power Company Limited which stripped the index of 40 points followed by Lucky Cement Limited with 36 points, Pakistan Petroleum Limited with 28 points, Oil &Gas Development Company Limited with 23 points and TRG Pakistan Limited with 20 points. However, sectors which lifted the index were Commercial Banks with 109 points, Textile Composite with 32 points, Automobile Assembler with 23 points, Fertilizer with 15 points and Leather & Tanneries with 12 points. Among the scrips, the most points added to the index was by Muslim Commercial Bank which contributed 40 points followed by Meezan bank Limited with 29 points, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited with 17 points, Millat Tractors Limited with 17 points and Nishat Mills Limited with 17 points. Global Markets: Stocks traded mixed as Covid-19, U.S stimulus& Brexit remained in focus Global stock markets witnessed a mixed trend on Tuesday, as investors weigh in stalled U.S. fiscal stimulus talks and resurgence of Covid-19. In Asia, stocks dipped across the board during the day as investors treaded cautiously over rising uncertainty. Among the major markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index led the regional losses and traded was about 0.69% lower, as of its final hour of trading. South korea’s Kospi index and Japan’s Nikkei 225 also followed the trend and declined 0.19% and 0.17% respectively. In China, stocks, however traded mixed mixed on the day, but by the closing bell the benchmark index Shanghai composite dipped fractionally to 3,367.23. European stocks traded mixed, however, as post-Brexit trade deal negotiations and the latest coronavirus developments continue to dominate market attention.The pan-European Stoxx 600 hovered around the flatline by early afternoon trade, with autos climbing 1.9% to lead gains while health care stocks slipped 0.8%. Among the major markets, Germany’s DAX and CAC-40 in France closed in the green zone, adding 0.79% and 0.06%, while UK’s FTSE-100 bumped the trend and weighed down 0.40%. In U.S, stocks at Wall Street also cautiously traded higher, as investors followed ongoing Congress negations on U.S stimulus package. On Monday, U.S lawmakers released the latest proposal for another round of economic relief, splitting a previous bipartisan proposal into two parts.The new plan calls for $748 billion in spending for programs that are popular on both sides of the aisle, including an additional $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits and another $300 billion for more loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.A second $160 billion bill would include the more contentious areas of business liability protections and financial aid to state and local governments. During the early trading hours, the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 100 points, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.6%. The tech heavy Nasdaq Composite also advanced climbed 0.7%.