KARACHI — The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the new business week on a turbulent note, with volatile trading reflecting investor caution amid economic and political uncertainty.
During intraday trading, the benchmark KSE-100 index plunged more than 1,600 points, dropping to 167,245.57 points from the previous close of 168,990.07 points.
However, the market later staged a modest rebound, regaining over 200 points to trade around 169,220 points in late hours.
Read More: Gold Hits Record $3,900 as Safe-Haven Demand Soars
Mixed Sentiment Prevails
The sharp swings in the market underscore a wait-and-see approach by investors, as they weigh policy developments, rupee stability, and interest rate expectations ahead of key financial updates.
In the previous session, the KSE-100 index had gained 500.44 points, or 0.30 percent, closing at 168,990.07 points compared to 168,489.63 points on the earlier trading day.
Trading Volume and Turnover
A total of 1.57 billion shares changed hands during the session, nearly identical to the previous day’s volume. The traded value rose to Rs 78.66 billion, up from Rs 70.19 billion in the last session.
Out of 485 active companies, 201 recorded gains, 254 sustained losses, and 30 remained unchanged, reflecting a mixed performance across sectors.
Investor Outlook
Market analysts attributed the volatility to profit-taking and institutional selling, particularly in key sectors such as banking, energy, and cement.
They added that the market is likely to remain range-bound in the short term, with direction influenced by upcoming corporate earnings and global oil price movements.