Selling pressure returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday as hopes of a breakthrough between the US and Iran faded, raising fresh concerns over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index fell more than 1,100 points in early trading. By 9:35am, it had dropped 1,153.51 points, or 0.64 percent, to 180,156.77.
The decline continued through the session. By 12:45pm, the index was down 1,226.79 points, or 0.68 percent, at 180,083.49, with trading volume reaching 221.71 million shares.
The index moved between 180,067.22 and 181,017.29 during the session, compared with Monday’s close of 181,310.28. Despite the latest fall, the KSE-100 remains up 22.56 percent over the past year and 3.46 percent since the start of 2026.
Selling was visible across several major sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, exploration and production companies and oil marketing companies.
Heavyweight stocks also came under pressure. HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, FFC, HBL, MCB, MEBL and UBL were among the index-heavy names trading in negative territory.
Some stocks bucked the wider market trend. THCCL, ASHT, TSPL, RUBY and ASLCPS were among the top gainers, with several shares rising around 10 percent. PREMA also advanced 4.81 percent, while HASCOL gained 3.87 percent.
Among the actively traded stocks, CNERGY fell 1.14 percent to Rs12.98, while KEL rose 0.80 percent to Rs7.54 and UNITY gained 0.75 percent to Rs12.13. PRL climbed 2.41 percent to Rs71.80.
TPLI was among the biggest decliners, falling 9.08 percent to Rs62.90. DEL dropped 7.20 percent to Rs24.34, while FIL lost 6.60 percent to Rs297.
The weaker session followed a nearly flat close on Monday. The KSE-100 had slipped 119.74 points, or 0.07 percent, to finish at 181,310.28 after profit-taking in heavyweight stocks erased its early gains.
Global markets remain cautious
Investor sentiment was also under pressure in global markets as uncertainty over the US-Iran conflict increased.
Oil prices rose on Tuesday after talks over a possible peace deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz reached an impasse. Brent crude climbed to around $88 a barrel, while US crude futures touched $82.45. Both were at their highest levels since July 31 after gaining about 5 percent a day earlier.
The rise in oil prices has also increased concerns over inflation, with US consumer price data due on Wednesday.
Asian markets remained mixed, while US stock futures edged higher after Wall Street closed lower on Monday.
For Pakistan’s market, the continued uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz remains a key risk as investors assess its potential impact on oil prices, inflation and the wider economy.
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