Sustainable upward trend
By Tabinda Shakeel
In the last month of 2003, The News-Prime Bank Composite Index of VIS very well managed to pull up its point-level, which substantiated its remarkable performance during the month under review. On 31st December 2003, the index managed to sustain its position above the barrier of 5900 points, as it closed at 5965.1 points by obtaining 249.1 points, having rise of 4.4% as compared to the last month's closing of 5716.1 points.

IN FOCUS
Export of Potatoes
By Ismat Sabir
Pakistani potatoes are losing export markets, which has created a crisis for the potato growers. The traditional export markets of Pakistani potato are Iran, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

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Adamjee Insurance Company Ltd.
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STOCK MARKET CONFIDENCE
NEWS - CresBank STOCK EXCHANGE CONFIDENCE BAROMETER
Standing at low
During December 2001, level of investors' confidence in the stock market remained low as compared to that prevailed during the preceding month. The News-CresBank Confidence Barometer for December was measured at 38 per cent on an aggregate basis. Despite dropping down from 47 per cent of November, the barometer managed to maintain the same category of 'very low to low'. A week-to-week analysis reveals that the barometer managed to go as high as 44 per cent, in the middle of the month. and dipped as low as 33 per cent toward the month-end, hardly float above the 'very low' category.

The Stock Market Confidence Barometer developed by Vital Information Services Pvt. Ltd. is a unique instrument that expresses in percentage the level of investors' confidence prevailing at the Karachi Stock Exchange taking into account each and every share transaction. The model electronically tracks the number of shares traded (adjusted for free float) at the KSE along with their respective prices, to find out the exact movement of investors' money. The investors place their funds world wide in other than safe-haven stocks when they are confident of the prevailing economic and political situation. On the other hand, when they are not so confident of the economic and political developments, they transfer their funds from those comparatively risky items to the safe-havens. This phenomenon is the foundation stone of this Confidence Barometer.
-- M. Bilal Aftab

CORP CORNER