Pakistan Stock ExchangePakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)witnessed modest gains on Thursday after previous session’s sell-off, as benchmark KSE-100 gained 307.52 points by the closing bell to close at 45,984.46index level. Theindex began the session on a positive note right from the opening bell,as market witnessed value-hunting ofoversold stocks, as investor sentiments remain upbeat ahead of upcoming corporate earnings season. The index also followed the pace witnessed in the regional markets, which posted gains, as investors’ hoped for more economic stimulus from newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden to offset damage wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, investors speculated ahead of monetary policy announcement by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) which is set to be revealed on Friday. While most of the brokerage houses haveprojectedand hinted towards no change in policy rate by the State Bank, investors chose not to inculcate that in their trading activity.SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir will address the media after announcing the policy rate, which has been kept unchanged since July at 7 per cent.The upcoming monetary policy is highly important for the financial sector as well as the entire economy since inflation slipped slightly in December and could see further decline in January. During the session, the benchmark KSE-100 Indexregistered its intraday high at 46,143.53 level after it gained 466.59 points. The volume at Kse-100 surged from 219million shares recorded in the previous session, to 333.35million shares, while all-share volume alsoincreased from 476.62 million shares in the previous session to 606.38 million shares. The volume chart was led by K-Electric Limited, Hum Network Limited and Hum Network Limited. The scrips exchanged143.82 million, 43.38 million and 31.43 million shares, respectively. According to the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited foreign investors’ sold $0.19 million worth ofshares. However, among local investors the buying chart was led by Mutual Funds and Brokers with $ 2.2 million and $1.1 worth of equities, while Banks and Insurance companies were net sellers of worth $2.95 million and $0.83 million worth of equities. Sectors that lifted the index were Commercial Banks with 69 points, Cement with 67 points, Technology & Communication with 41 points, Textile Composite with 34 points and Fertilizer with 32 points. Among the scrips, the most points added to the index was by Lucky Cement Limited which contributed 43 points followed by ENGRO with 27 points, TRG Pakistan Limited with 25 points, Kohinoor Textile Mills Limited with 24 points and Bank Al HabibLimited with 23 points. However, sectors that continued to weigh down the index were Vanaspati& Allied Industries with 9 points, Miscellaneous with 5 points, Automobile Assembler with 5 points, Engineering with 2 points and Automobile Parts & Accessories with 2 points. Among the scrips, the most points taken off the index was by Mari Petroleum Company Limited which stripped the index of 11 points followed by Unity Foods Limited with 9 points, Shifa International Hospitals Limited with 5 points, Bank al Falah Limited with 4 points andJubilee Life Insurance Company Limitedwith 4 points.