KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed lower on Monday as selling pressure intensified during the second half of the session, erasing an early recovery and pushing the index below the 166,000-point level.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index declined by 453.63 points, or 0.27 percent, to close at 165,966.09 points against the previous session’s 166,419.72 points. During the session, the index touched an intraday high of 166,698.46 points and a low of 165,918.35 points, moving within a range of 780.11 points.
BRIndex100 finished at 18,259.16 points, down 61.97 points, or 0.34 percent, with a total turnover of 280.715 million shares. BRIndex30 declined by 166.20 points, or 0.25 percent, to close at 65,270.62 points, while its total volume stood at 163.885 million shares.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, said the market opened on a negative note before staging a recovery that proved short-lived as selling intensified in the second half of the session. The renewed pressure dragged the benchmark towards its intraday low by the close.
On the index contribution front, MCB, ATRL, POL, TRG and BAFL collectively contributed 128 points, while UBL, ENGROH, SYS, FFC and HUBC cumulatively took away 254 points, leaving the index under pressure.
Trading activity in the ready market recorded lower volume but a higher traded value. Turnover declined to 370.941 million shares from 396.905 million shares in the previous session, a decrease of 25.963 million shares, or 6.54 percent.
Despite the lower volume, the traded value increased to Rs. 19.563 billion from Rs. 18.679 billion, an addition of Rs. 0.883 billion, or 4.73 percent.
Total market capitalization contracted by Rs. 52.428 billion to Rs. 18.427 trillion from Rs. 18.480 trillion previously.
Market breadth remained firmly negative, with 302 companies closing lower, 163 advancing and 34 remaining unchanged out of 499 active issues.
Pak Refinery Limited (PRL) led ready-market turnover with 52.931 million shares. The stock closed the day at Rs. 108.81 against the previous close of Rs. 106.95.
Cnergyico PK followed with 35.790 million shares. It closed at Rs. 12.88 compared with Rs. 12.85 previously.
TPL Trakker Limited recorded turnover of 14.357 million shares. The stock settled at Rs. 32.26 against the previous close of Rs. 30.02.
Among ready-market price gainers, Khairpur Sugar Mills Limited recorded the largest increase, rising by Rs. 118.04 to close at Rs. 1,298.40. Pakistan Engineering Company Limited followed, gaining Rs. 71.10 to settle at Rs. 782.11.
On the losing side, PIA Holding Company LimitedB registered the largest decline, shedding Rs. 366.67 to finish at Rs. 14,199.66. Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited followed with a decrease of Rs. 142.58, closing at Rs. 25,407.42.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index shed 116.37 points, or 0.53 percent, to close at 21,696.68 points on a turnover of 1.588 million shares. The BR Cement Index declined by 55.70 points, or 0.49 percent, to 11,308.02 points, with 12.360 million shares traded.
The BR Commercial Banks Index lost 151.63 points, or 0.26 percent, to settle at 57,215.02 points on a turnover of 10.451 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index fell by 109.77 points, or 0.44 percent, to 24,865.48 points, with 28.624 million shares traded. The BR Tech & Communication Index declined by 14.92 points, or 0.47 percent, to close at 3,193.55 points, recording turnover of 52.585 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index was the exception among the listed sector indices, gaining 9.29 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 14,708.55 points on a turnover of 16.413 million shares.
Najib said the market was likely to remain volatile and range-bound between 164,000 and 168,000 points in the coming sessions, amid cautious investor sentiment and evolving macroeconomic and geopolitical developments. The outlook suggested continued sensitivity to changes in investor positioning and external developments, with the benchmark’s ability to sustain support levels remaining a key focus.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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