KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained volatile on Thursday as renewed geopolitical uncertainty and elevated international oil prices kept investors cautious, with selling in heavyweight stocks outweighing selective buying.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index fell 254.59 points, or 0.14%, to close at 176,591.77 points after moving sharply between an intraday high of 178,291.37 and a low of 176,156.57 points.
Business Recorder’s indices also reflected the uneven market performance. The BRIndex100 declined 52.09 points, or 0.27%, to close at 19,430.90 points on turnover of 521.46 million shares. In contrast, the BRIndex30 gained 99.17 points, or 0.14%, to settle at 72,188.14 points, with 385.28 million shares traded.
According to Topline Securities’ market review, selling pressure remained concentrated in major heavyweight stocks as investors reduced exposure following the market’s recent correction. Selective buying in the oil and gas exploration sector, however, provided support and limited the benchmark’s decline.
United Bank Limited (UBL), Hub Power Company (HUBC), Bank AL Habib (BAHL), Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Fatima Fertilizer (FATIMA) were the major negative contributors, collectively dragging the KSE-100 Index by approximately 458 points. On the other hand, Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC), Engro Holdings (ENGROH) and Sazgar Engineering Works (SAZEW) added around 321 points to the benchmark.
Trading activity on the Ready Market remained substantial but was accompanied by weak market breadth. Of 492 active companies, 144 advanced, 312 declined and 36 remained unchanged.
Regular market turnover stood at 665.19 million shares, with traded value amounting to Rs30.79 billion. Total market capitalisation fell to Rs19.79 trillion.
Cnergyico PK remained the most actively traded stock on the Ready Market, with 221.43 million shares changing hands. The stock closed at Rs13.19.
F. Nat. Equities followed with 25.12 million shares and closed at Rs1.17, while Globe Residency recorded 18.82 million shares and ended at Rs22.99.
PIA Holding Company Limited B was the leading Ready Market price gainer, rising Rs197 to close at Rs17,797 per share. Sazgar Engineering Works Limited followed, gaining Rs127.76 to finish at Rs1,880.04.
On the losing side, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited recorded the largest decline, falling Rs113.97 to Rs25,160 per share, while Sapphire Fibres Limited declined Rs39.72 to Rs1,053.02.
The BR Oil and Gas Index advanced 91.52 points, or 0.60%, to 15,319.32 points on turnover of 50.35 million shares, while the BR Automobile Assembler Index gained 170.88 points, or 0.72%, to 23,821.91 points on 1.61 million shares.
The BR Tech. & Comm. Index rose 10.19 points, or 0.28%, to 3,617.08 points, with 52.34 million shares changing hands.
Selling remained visible in several major sectors. The BR Commercial Banks Index declined 327.75 points, or 0.52%, to 62,115.22 points on turnover of 21.06 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index fell 313.09 points, or 1.17%, to 26,386.92 points on 27.58 million shares, while the BR Cement Index shed 63.42 points, or 0.51%, to close at 12,374.22 points on 22.14 million shares.
Analysts say session’s trading pattern pointed to continued caution among market participants. The predominance of declining stocks across the Ready, DFC and CSF markets indicated that selling pressure remained widespread rather than confined to a few index-heavy stocks.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026