The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is likely to remain range-bound in the coming week starting today (Monday) due to the Afghan situation, despite four back-to-back red sessions in the previous rollover week. The evolving situation in Afghanistan, depreciation of Pakistani rupee against the US dollar and Covid concerns also hit the market hard, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding around 975 points in the last four sessions. Overall, the KSE-100 index dived 463 points (around 1 percent) to close the week at 47,136.53 points. Moreover, profit-taking was also due in the start of the week because of heavy green sessions in the end of the preceding week and on Monday last when the market gained around 500 points. The receipt of $2.75 billion from the International Monetary Fund by the State Bank of Pakistan under the SDR allocations failed to restore investor interest. Bears ruled four out of the five trading sessions at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Trading kicked off on a bullish note as investors’ interest in index-heavy sectors, a significant jump in international oil prices and news reports of Airlift – a Pakistani startup – securing $85 million in Series B funding triggered a rally in exploration and production and technology sectors. Bulls drove the index over the 48,000-point mark on Monday. However, the positive momentum was short-lived as bears staged a comeback on Tuesday and dominated the rest of the four sessions. Unfortunately, the market failed to sustain the momentum and fell below the 48,000-point mark. However, the investors are expected to react to the news of the three-year economic roadmap announced by the government for 14 key sectors and the newly launched Roshan Apna Ghar scheme this week. The week ended with Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin announcing the Roshan Apna Ghar scheme for overseas Pakistanis which would allow them to buy a home in Pakistan and apply for attractive financing through their Roshan Digital Accounts. Average daily traded volume increased 44.6 percent week-on-week to 384.09 million shares while average daily traded value rose 11.6 percent week-on-week to settle at $78.65 million. Sector-wise major losers were refinery 4.6 percent, oil and gas marketing companies 4.1 percent, cement 3.7 percent and power 2.6 percent. Meanwhile, exploration and production, banks, and the auto sector contributed positively to the index. Scrip-wise, positive impact came from Yousaf Weaving Mills Limited, Pakistan Services Limited, Systems Limited, Punjab Oil Mills and Archroma Pakistan Limited. Meanwhile, Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited, Service Industries, Gadoon Textile Mills and Azgard Nine led negative contributions. Foreigners remained net sellers as they offloaded stocks worth $4.4 million against $10.82 million last week. Significant selling was witnessed in the cement sector. Among other major news of the week; foreign investors’ repatriations declined 21pc on a year-on-year basis, the external account improved in July as the SBP reported a current account deficit of $773 million and trade deficit for July 2021 stood at $694 million, an 18pc month-on-month decline. According to experts, regional geopolitics will have an influence on the market, as another explosion was reported in Afghanistan capital Kabul, days after a suicide bombing killed dozens of people at the city’s overcrowded airport.