Pakistan Stock Exchange’s benchmark KSE-100 Index saw a turbulent session on Monday, swinging between heavy losses and a late recovery as investors reacted to both local and global pressures.
The market opened on a weak note, with strong selling across major sectors dragging the index down by more than 2,600 points during early trading. By 11:45am, the benchmark had dropped to 147,796, reflecting a loss of 1.73 percent as investors pulled back amid uncertain sentiment.
Selling pressure was visible in key sectors such as automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, and oil and gas exploration companies. Heavyweight stocks including OGDC, POL, MCB, NBP and UBL remained under pressure, adding to the decline.
Market participants linked the early slump to growing concerns over global developments and policy uncertainty at home. Analysts noted that sentiment weakened as a major international deadline approached and signals from the IMF pointed towards a possible end to recent fuel price relief.
However, the mood shifted in the second half of the session. Fresh buying helped the index regain lost ground, pushing it back into positive territory by early afternoon. At around 1:59pm, the KSE-100 Index was recorded at 150,964, showing a gain of 566 points or 0.38 percent from the previous close.
The day’s trading range remained wide, with the index touching a low of 147,771 and climbing to a high of 151,453, highlighting continued volatility in the market.
Activity remained strong, with traded volume crossing 176 million shares. Among active stocks, Cnergy, PRL, WTL and K-Electric attracted investor interest, while UBL saw notable selling pressure.
On the broader front, last week also saw the market struggle, with the benchmark index losing nearly 1,309 points on a weekly basis amid rising geopolitical tensions and elevated global oil prices.
Internationally, markets remained cautious as tensions in the Middle East kept investors on edge. Oil prices moved higher, with Brent crude trading above $110 per barrel, adding to inflation concerns and keeping sentiment fragile across regional markets.
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