KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed lower on Tuesday as investors resorted to profit-taking after the benchmark KSE-100 Index hovered near its all-time high during intraday trade. Despite the correction, expectations of strong corporate earnings for the upcoming result season continued to underpin investor confidence and helped limit the extent of losses.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at 186,255.55 points, down 1,199.14 points or 0.64 percent from the previous close of 187,454.69 points. The market remained volatile throughout the session, with the index touching an intraday high of 188,126.68 points, a fresh lifetime peak, before retreating to an intraday low of 186,189.21 points amid widespread profit-taking.
Business Recorder’s benchmark indices also reflected the broader market correction. The BRIndex100 closed at 20,557.77 points, down 174.90 points or 0.84 percent, with a total traded volume of 744.50 million shares. Similarly, the BRIndex30 settled at 75,814.55 points, losing 276.09 points or 0.36 percent, while generating a turnover of 387.72 million shares.
Commenting on the market’s performance, Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, said the PSX witnessed a consolidative session as investors booked profits after the benchmark index approached record levels, dragging the market into negative territory by the close.
However, he noted that expectations of robust corporate earnings in the forthcoming result season continued to provide underlying support to market sentiment. He added that Bank Al Habib, Habib Metropolitan Bank, Ibrahim Fibres, Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited and National Bank of Pakistan collectively contributed 197 points to the benchmark index, while Fauji Fertilizer Company, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, United Bank Limited, Oil and Gas Development Company and Lucky Cement came under selling pressure, jointly erasing 650 points from the index.
Despite the decline in share prices, trading activity remained robust. Ready market volume increased to 984.85 million shares from 888.40 million shares traded a day earlier. However, the value of shares traded declined to Rs45.70 billion from Rs49.98 billion recorded in the previous session.
Market capitalization also reflected the correction, falling by around Rs129.54 billion to Rs20.857 trillion, compared with Rs20.986 trillion in the previous session.
Market breadth turned decisively negative. Out of 498 companies traded in the ready market, 192 stocks advanced, 271 declined, while 35 remained unchanged.
Among volume leaders in the ready market, TPL REIT Fund I topped the chart with 75.73 million shares, closing at Rs10.63. It was followed by TPL Properties with 72.49 million shares, ending at Rs13.32, and The Bank of Punjab with 60.71 million shares, which settled at Rs37.37. Other actively traded stocks included LSE Capital Limited, TPL Corp Limited, Cnergyico PK, Pak Elektron Limited, Siddiqsons Tin Plate Limited, Thatta Cement Company, and Agha Steel Industries.
On the gainers’ list, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited emerged as the top performer, rising Rs233.32 to close at Rs25,677.25, followed by Hafiz Limited, which gained Rs35.19 to settle at Rs485.04. On the losing side, Khairpur Sugar Mills Limited recorded the biggest decline, falling Rs212.15 to Rs1,911.43, while Nestle Pakistan Limited lost Rs123.30 to close at Rs7,565.55.
Sector-wise, the BR Commercial Banks Index was the only sector to end in positive territory, edging up 23.32 points or 0.04 percent to 64,843.76 points on a turnover of 130.91 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index declined 232.40 points or 1.45 percent to 15,805.18 points, with 43.36 million shares traded.
The BR Cement Index dropped 147.26 points or 1.09 percent to 13,409.60 points on turnover of 50.54 million shares, while the BR Power Generation and Distribution Index lost 300.22 points or 1.00 percent to close at 29,698.79 points with 28.16 million shares changing hands.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index eased 93.49 points or 0.38 percent to 24,380.63 points on turnover of 3.62 million shares, whereas the BR Tech & Communication Index shed 41.60 points or 1.04 percent to settle at 3,950.57 points, with 75.89 million shares traded.
Looking ahead, Najib believes the ongoing consolidation is a healthy development following the market’s record-setting rally. With corporate earnings season approaching and expectations of strong financial results across key sectors, investors are expected to remain focused on company fundamentals.
Barring any major external shocks, the market is likely to resume its upward trajectory after the current phase of profit-taking subsides.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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