KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a mixed yet resilient trading session on Tuesday, with the benchmark index regaining the 150,000 psychological level on the back of improved investor sentiment, although overall activity remained cautious amid persistent geopolitical concerns and recent market volatility.
The KSE-100 Index closed at 150,016.16 points, posting a gain of 837.50 points or 0.56 percent compared to the previous close of 149,178.66 points. The index touched an intraday high of 151,503.47 points and a low of 148,509.05 points, reflecting notable volatility throughout the session.
BRIndex100 closed at 16,710.61 points, gaining 69.78 points or 0.42 percent, with total turnover recorded at 217.28 million shares. Meanwhile, BRIndex30 increased by 162.34 points or 0.28 percent to close at 58,964.64 points, with total traded volume standing at 145.79 million shares.
According to market participants, sentiment received a boost following the announcement of a strong current account surplus of USD 427 million for February 2026—the highest since March 2025—marking a sharp turnaround from a deficit of USD 85 million recorded in February 2025. However, on a cumulative basis, the current account balance remained in deficit at USD 700 million during 8MFY26, compared to a surplus of USD 479 million in the same period last year, keeping investors cautious.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, noted that the market remained range-bound despite the positive close, as investors continued to weigh macroeconomic signals against geopolitical uncertainties. He stated that index gains were primarily driven by MCB, UBL, HUBC, PPL, and ENGROH, which collectively added 738 points to the benchmark, while HBL, NBP, DGKC, BOP, and FCCL exerted downward pressure, trimming 267 points from overall gains.
Overall market activity in the ready market remained moderate, with total traded volume recorded at 260.42 million shares compared to 298.27 million shares in the previous session, while traded value declined to Rs17.20 billion from Rs20.18 billion. Market capitalization decreased slightly to Rs16.79 trillion from Rs16.82 trillion, reflecting a marginal contraction of Rs32 billion despite the index gain.
Market breadth remained positive, as out of a total of 475 companies traded in the ready market, 223 companies closed in the green, 182 declined, while 70 remained unchanged.
Among the volume leaders, Bank of Punjab dominated trading with 32.25 million shares, closing at Rs25.79, followed by K-Electric Limited with 18.07 million shares, closing higher at Rs7.41, and WorldCall Telecom with 17.87 million shares, ending at Rs1.19.
On the gaining side, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited emerged as a standout performer, surging by Rs234.62 to close at Rs 24,452.00, while PIA Holding Company Limited-B gained Rs150.00 to settle at Rs 16,200.00. In contrast, Thal Industries Corporation Limited declined by Rs58.03 to close at Rs636.18, and Shield Corporation Limited fell by Rs49.85 to settle at Rs850.28, reflecting selling pressure in select stocks.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index declined by 22.17 points or 0.10 percent to close at 22,572.32 points with a turnover of 706,245 shares. In contrast, the BR Cement Index rose by 35.04 points or 0.36 percent to settle at 9,714.05 points with a turnover of 18.77 million shares.
The BR Commercial Banks Index gained 287.85 points or 0.56 percent to close at 51,660.49 points with a turnover of 55.95 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index posted a strong gain of 449.72 points or 1.86 percent to close at 24,687.75 points with a turnover of 40.97 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index increased by 126.56 points or 0.97 percent to settle at 13,190.82 points with a turnover of 16.71 million shares while The BR Technology and Communication Index also edged higher by 21.02 points or 0.65 percent to close at 3,235.30 points with a turnover of 29.62 million shares.
Ali Najib observed that going forward, market direction would largely depend on geopolitical developments, noting that any de-escalation could help restore investor confidence and support further recovery in equities, while continued uncertainty may keep the market under pressure in the near term.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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