The Pakistan Stock Exchange turned volatile on Tuesday as profit-taking trimmed early gains in the KSE-100 Index. The benchmark index traded at 178,631.81 points by 1:04pm, still up 159.95 points, or 0.09%. The swings matter because investors, brokers, and listed companies are closely watching whether the market can sustain record-high levels.
Trading began on a strong note and extended the previous session’s positive momentum. The KSE-100 climbed above 179,000 points during the morning session. It reached 179,094.19 points by around 10:39am, gaining 622.33 points, or 0.35%.
Buying later intensified and pushed the benchmark to an intraday high of 179,405.55 points. However, investors started booking profits at higher levels as the session progressed. Consequently, selling pressure erased most of the gains and briefly dragged the market into negative territory.
The index touched an intraday low of 178,424.19 points before selective buying helped it recover. Activity remained concentrated in banking, cement, energy, oil marketing, and power generation stocks. These heavyweight sectors continued to dominate market direction and investor interest.
Trading volumes stayed robust, with more than 172 million shares changing hands. The total value of traded shares reached Rs12.8 billion during the session. Despite the pullback, traders remained cautiously optimistic as the benchmark held above the 178,500-point level.