KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a lackluster yet highly volatile trading session on Thursday, as the index closed slightly lower amid cautious investor sentiment driven by evolving geopolitical developments and sustained uncertainty in global markets.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index declined by 293.50 points or 0.18 percent to close at 165,517.51 points, compared to the previous close of 165,811.01 points. The index moved within a wide intraday range, hitting a high of 166,962.17 points and a low of 161,993.00 points, reflecting heightened volatility and investor sensitivity throughout the session.
The BRIndex100 closed at 18,630.37 points, declining by 53.45 points or 0.29 percent, with total traded volume of 740.50 million shares, while the BRIndex30 closed at 64,904.53 points, gaining 241.27 points or 0.37 percent, with turnover of 547.10 million shares.
According to Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, PSX experienced a lackluster day, with the benchmark index undergoing a highly volatile session that underscored elevated investor sensitivity amid evolving geopolitical signals. He noted that sentiment remained fluid as the White House confirmed direct US–Iran talks, with JD Vance expected to lead a delegation to Islamabad, while local holidays announced across Islamabad and Rawalpindi for April 9–10 further highlighted the significance of the upcoming diplomatic engagement.
He added that the market’s downside was primarily driven by pressure on index-heavy stocks including Bank Al Habib Limited, Mari Petroleum, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Hub Power Company, Fauji Fertilizer Company, and MCB Bank, which cumulatively dragged the index by approximately 810 points. However, selective accumulation in United Bank Limited, Lucky Cement, and Fauji Cement provided partial support, contributing 567 points and enabling recovery from intraday lows. He further noted that despite the choppy session, trading activity remained notably strong, and going forward, the market is expected to remain range-bound as investors closely watch the Islamabad dialogue scheduled over the weekend.
Overall market activity remained robust despite the subdued closing. Total ready market turnover stood at 888.57 million shares, compared to 1.25 billion shares in the previous session, while traded value slightly declined to Rs54.28 billion from Rs54.40 billion.
Market breadth remained negative, as declining stocks outnumbered gainers across all segments. In the ready market, 162 companies advanced, 290 declined, and 37 remained unchanged out of a total of 489 traded companies.
Among the most active stocks in the ready market, WorldCall Telecom led trading with 105.84 million shares, closing at Rs1.37, followed by First National Equities with 81.61 million shares, closing at Rs1.47, and K-Electric Limited with 63.97 million shares, closing at Rs7.67.
Among companies reflecting increase in rates, PIA Holding Company LimitedB gained Rs415.04 to close at Rs18,015.05, while Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited increased by Rs131.06 to settle at Rs9,263.41. On the downside, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited declined by Rs177.45 to close at Rs25,820.55, while Hoechst Pakistan Limited fell by Rs41.89 to Rs3,954.27.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index increased by 228.92 points or 0.96 percent to 24,080.28 points, with turnover of 6.84 million shares, while the BR Cement Index rose by 432.83 points or 3.87 percent to 11,621.04 points, with traded volume of 106.44 million shares.
In contrast, the BR Commercial Banks Index declined by 72.37 points or 0.13 percent to 56,915.29 points, with turnover of 90.60 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index dropped by 542.93 points or 1.96 percent to 27,151.45 points, with traded volume of 113.53 million shares, while the BR Oil and Gas Index fell by 276.19 points or 1.88 percent to 14,385.11 points, with turnover of 46.62 million shares.
The BR Technology and Communication Index also declined by 51.58 points or 1.39 percent to 3,650.08 points, with a traded volume of 156.70 million shares.
Overall, the session reflected a pause after the previous day’s historic rally, with heightened volatility, mixed sectoral performance, and strong trading volumes indicating that investors remained cautious while closely monitoring geopolitical developments and upcoming diplomatic engagements for further direction.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026