KARACH: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a sharp and broad-based sell-off across nearly all the sectors on Monday, as panic gripped investors due to the escalated Middle East crisis.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index plunged by 3,856 points or 3.21 percent to settle at 116,167.47 points on Monday, a sharp drop from the previous close of 120,023.24 points on Friday. During the trading the index remained in negative territory with an intraday low level of 115,887.49 points.
BRIndex100 also plunged by 1,159 points or 8.96 percent, closing at 11,774 points on Monday with a total volume of 462.59 million shares. Meanwhile, the BRIndex30 also posted heavy losses, falling by 2,109.55 points or 5.69 percent to settle at 34,974 points. The total volume on BRIndex30 was 302 million shares.
Topline Securities stated that PSX experienced a subdued trading session, in line with the cautious mood seen across global markets. Investor sentiment was dampened by rising geopolitical tensions, especially the intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel, which led to heightened uncertainty and widespread risk aversion. This nervousness triggered broad-based panic selling, it added.
Despite the market’s heavy losses, trading activity picked up notably as speculative investors and day traders rushed to take advantage of falling prices. The total turnover in the ready market surged to 595.01 million shares, up from 421.64 million shares in the previous session. In terms of traded value, the market recorded Rs 23.48 billion compared to Rs 15.65 billion a session earlier.
Market capitalization, however, took a severe hit. The total value of all listed companies dropped to Rs 14.063 trillion from Rs 14.536 trillion in the previous session, wiping out roughly Rs 473 billion from the equity market in a single day. This erosion reflects the depth of selling pressure and investors’ unwillingness to hold positions amid heightened uncertainty.
Among individual stocks in the ready market, WorldCall Telecom remained the volume leader with a turnover of 53.30 million shares. The stock lost ground, closing at Rs 1.35. Sui Southern Gas followed with a turnover of 36 million shares to close at Rs 38.80. Pervez Ahmed Company traded 24 million shares, registering a modest increase and closing at Rs 2.72.
Despite the overall bearish trend, a few stocks managed to post gains. Philip Morris Pakistan Limited surged by Rs 35.38 to close at Rs 1,136.01, while Faisal Spinning Mills climbed Rs 21.26, ending at Rs 335.17. On the other hand, several heavyweight stocks saw their prices collapse. PIA Holding Company LimitedB tumbled by a staggering Rs 1,115.38 to Rs 10,038.45, and Unilever Pakistan Foods fell by Rs 245.72 to Rs 22,900.00.
Market breadth remained overwhelmingly negative throughout the day. Out of 468 companies traded in the ready market, only 56 managed to register gains, while 386 closed in the red, and 26 remained unchanged. The scale of declines indicated a widespread sell off, with most sectors under pressure amid growing investor concerns.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 19,385.55, plummeting by 852.08 points, or 4.21 percent. Trading activity in the sector saw a total turnover of 3.93 million shares.
The BR Cement Index also faced considerable pressure, concluding the trading session at 9,606.41 points. This represented a decrease of 605.15 points, a 5.93 percent drop. The sector’s volume reached 59.79 million shares.
Among the hardest hit was the BR Commercial Banks Index, which tumbled to 31,311.62 points, shedding a significant 5361 points for a percentage change of 14.62 percent. The banking sector recorded a turnover of 47.98 million shares.
The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index down by 775.1 points, or 3.8 percent, finishing at 19,646.86 points. Its total turnover for the day stood at 31.02 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index also saw a notable decline, settling at 11,077.78 points after a drop of 483 points, or 4.18 percent. Volume in this sector was robust at 59.14 million shares.
Finally, the BR Technology & Communication Index closed at 2,600.45 points, experiencing a significant fall of 191.09 points, equating to a 6.85 percent decline. This index recorded 87.18 million shares traded.
In its commentary, JS Global said that PSX suffers heavy losses amid sharp sell-off, opening with a steep 2,000- point gap down amid panic selling. The index failed to recover throughout the session while the sharp decline reflects heightened fear driven by uncertainty and external pressures, it added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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