KARACHI: The futures market at the Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed a sharp deterioration in positioning during the week, with the futures spread plunging to negative 14.61 percent, compared to a positive 7.43 percent in the preceding week — a dramatic contraction of 2,203 basis points.
The reversal into deep negative territory signalled aggressive unwinding of leveraged positions and heightened short-term bearish sentiment amid escalating geopolitical tensions and broader equity market weakness.
Trading activity in the futures segment also softened during the week. Average daily traded volume (ADTO) declined 11.9 percent to 178.51 million shares, compared to 202.66 million shares last week. The reduction in volume suggested cautious participation and scaling back of speculative exposure.
In value terms, however, futures turnover showed relative resilience. Average daily traded value edged up 0.9 percent to Rs10.75 billion, compared with Rs10.65 billion in the preceding week. The marginal increase in value despite lower volumes pointed toward concentration in higher-priced or index-heavy contracts rather than broad-based activity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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