KARACHI: Trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained under pressure on Monday, with the benchmark KSE‑100 Index slipping deeper into the red by mid‑day after a sharp fall at the opening bell.
The market had started the first session of the business week on a negative note, with the KSE‑100 plunging more than 1,300 points to 169,268, compared to Friday’s close of 170,672. By 12:10 p.m., the index had pared some losses but was still down 395 points, or 0.23 percent, at 170,276.48.
Other indices also reflected the subdued sentiment: the All‑Share Index shed 126 points to 101,908.54, the KSE‑30 dropped 176 points to 51,633.56, the KMI‑30 fell 719 points to 244,266.90, while the Banking Index was lower by 125 points at 48,045.76.
Market activity remained brisk, with over 345 million shares traded in 188,931 transactions, generating a value of Rs16.19 billion. Out of 564 active symbols, 262 advanced, 190 declined, and 112 remained unchanged, showing a mixed but cautious trend.
Analysts noted that the week’s opening downturn reflects investor unease over persistent macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical uncertainty. “The market opened sharply lower, and while some recovery was seen by mid‑day, sentiment remains fragile,” a brokerage report observed.
Traders said the cautious mood is likely to persist until clarity emerges on external inflows and regional developments, with investors reluctant to take fresh positions in the absence of stabilizing signals.
