KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed marginally lower on Tuesday as cautious trading prevailed following the State Bank of Pakistan’s surprise no-change policy decision to uphold key rate.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index slipped 384.80 points, or 0.20 percent, to close at 188,202.86. The market moved in a narrow range, touching an intraday high of 189,521.32 and a low of 187,538.23, before settling lower, reflecting a consolidation phase after recent record levels.
On Tuesday, the BRIndex100 closed at 20,463.03, down 2.27 points, or 0.01 percent, from the previous session, with a total turnover of 572.22 million shares. The BRIndex30 ended the day at 63,652.16, declining 196.30 points, or 0.31 percent, on a volume of 369.72 million shares.
According to Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, the session reflected no change followed by consolidation. He said that PSX experienced a largely uneventful session as the KSE-100 moved sideways and closed lower. The market lacked clear direction as investors continued to digest SBP’s surprise no-change policy decision, leading to cautious trading behavior across most sectors, he added.
He added that sentiment was also temporarily influenced by legal developments after the Constitutional Court upheld Section 4B of the Income Tax law, reaffirming Parliament’s authority to levy income tax and declaring parts of earlier High Court rulings on the super tax partially invalid, adding uncertainty for select corporates.
Najib noted that ENGROH, EFERT, HUBC, LUCK, and MCB acted as key laggards, collectively dragging the index by 857 points, while FFC, MEBL, PPL, SYS, and BAFL added 952 points, helping offset downside pressure.
Market participation declined from the previous session. Ready market volume fell to 749.25 million shares from 870.45 million shares, while traded value declined to Rs53.06 billion from Rs57.19 billion. Total market capitalization slipped to Rs21.146 trillion, compared to Rs21.162 trillion a day earlier.
Out of 486 companies traded in the ready market, 278 closed lower, 160 advanced, and 48 remained unchanged.
K-Electric Limited led the volume chart with 90.16 million shares, closing at Rs7.04. It was followed by Hascol Petroleum 47.95 million and Bank of Punjab 35.97 million. Other active stocks included WorldCall Telecom (30.11 million), Nishat Chunian Power (25.63 million), Fauji Foods (23.19 million), PIA Holding Company (16.03 million), Nishat Power (15.24 million), Pakistan International Bulk (14.32 million) and LSE Capital (14.17 million).
On the gaining side, Unilever Pakistan Foods jumped Rs75.77 to close at Rs27,676, while Khyber Textile Mills advanced Rs56.35 to Rs1,694.97. In contrast, PIA Holding Company Limited (B) dropped Rs234.33 to Rs20,769, while Nestlé Pakistan Limited declined Rs69.81 to close at Rs7,900.83.
Sector-wise performance on the BR indices remained mixed. The BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 27,254.18, losing 100.92 points, or 0.37 percent, with a total turnover of 9.97 million shares. The BR Cement Index finished at 13,566.81, down 301.98 points, or 2.18 percent, on a volume of 37.14 million shares.
In contrast, the BR Commercial Banks Index posted gains, closing at 57,814.87, up 164.63 points, or 0.29 percent, with a turnover of 75.19 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index settled at 29,750.87, falling 194.98 points, or 0.65 percent, with a volume of 143.47 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index closed at 16,335.76, rising 51.36 points, or 0.32 percent, on a turnover of 78.46 million shares. The BR Technology and Communication Index ended the session at 4,247.88, gaining 20.15 points, or 0.48 percent, with a total volume of 82.47 million shares.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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