KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained under pressure on Monday as sustained institutional selling, weakness in index-heavy stocks, and technical adjustments pushed indices lower.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index closed lower by 1,789.20 points, or 0.97 percent, settling at 182,340.38 points, compared with the previous close of 184,129.58 points. During the session, the index touched an intraday high of 185,650.60 points and a low of 180,992.80 points, reflecting heightened volatility and persistent selling pressure.
On Monday, the BRIndex100 closed at 20,692.70 points, marking a decline of 338.98 points, or 1.61 percent, compared with the previous close. Total turnover on the index stood at 794.33 million shares. Meanwhile, the BRIndex30 posted a sharper fall, shedding 1,825.48 points, or 2.30 percent, to close at 77,416.86 points, with a trading volume of 583.13 million shares,
According to Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, Monday’s session represented a “transition day” for the market. He said that while the KSE-100 Index started on a positive footing, sentiment weakened as institutional selling accelerated during the session. He noted that selective value buying helped the market recover some losses, but temporary pressure related to the first day of transition from T+2 to T+1 settlement may also have contributed to the selling, describing it as a one-off technical adjustment.
Investor wealth declined further as total market capitalization fell to Rs20.71 trillion, down from Rs20.88 trillion in the previous session, reflecting a notional erosion of over Rs170 billion due to falling share prices.
Despite the negative close, trading activity remained comparatively healthy. In the Ready Market, total turnover stood at 931.36 million shares, compared with 1.27 billion shares in the previous session, while the value of shares traded amounted to Rs58.88 billion, slightly lower than Rs60.36 billion previously recorded.
Market breadth reflected the bearish undertone. In the ready market, 161 stocks advanced, 278 declined, and 42 remained unchanged, out of 481 traded companies.
Trading volumes were concentrated largely in power, banking, steel, and energy stocks. K-Electric Limited dominated the volume chart, with 302.44 million shares traded, closing higher at Rs9.42. Bank of Punjab followed with 52.95 million shares, closing at Rs39.70
On the corporate front, Ali Najib noted that Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL) reported 4QCY25 earnings per share of Rs11.88, along with a cash dividend of Rs7 per share, supported by improved spreads and deposit growth, although weaker non-funded income weighed on overall earnings.
In terms of index contribution, OGDC, MEBL, PPL, UBL, and LUCK collectively dragged the KSE-100 Index down by 932 points, while Sazgar Engineering Works, MCB Bank, Nestlé Pakistan, AGP Limited, and NBP provided partial support, contributing 206 points to the benchmark.
On the gainers’ board, Nestlé Pakistan Limited emerged as the top performer, rising by Rs412.53 to close at Rs8,265.26, followed by Sazgar Engineering Works Limited, which gained Rs123.56 to settle at Rs2,455.81. On the losing side, PIA Holding Company Limited (B) declined by Rs282.00 to close at Rs18,950.00, while Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited fell by Rs279.08 to end at Rs26,500.00, reflecting continued pressure on high-priced stocks.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index emerged as a notable outperformer, closing higher at 28,375.47 points, registering a gain of 315.50 points, or 1.12 percent, with a total turnover of 3.70 million shares. In contrast, the BR Cement Index closed lower at 13,169.99 points, down 175.62 points, or 1.32 percent, on a turnover of 18.66 million shares.
The BR Commercial Banks Index recorded a significant decline, falling 1,244.27 points, or 1.91 percent, to close at 63,835.82 points, with a heavy turnover of 116.90 million shares. Similarly, the BR Power Generation and Distribution Index ended lower at 29,404.93 points, down 278.62 points, or 0.94 percent, on robust volumes of 320.91 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index also remained under pressure, declining by 282.01 points, or 1.77 percent, to close at 15,623.46 points, with a turnover of 50.92 million shares. Meanwhile, the BR Technology and Communication Index closed at 4,121.34 points, down 49.30 points, or 1.18 percent, with a total turnover of 67.00 million shares, reflecting continued caution in technology-related names.
Looking ahead, analysts noted that volatility is likely to persist as investors assess macroeconomic developments, corporate earnings, and the impact of the new settlement mechanism.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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