The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw a volatile start to trading on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index swinging between gains and losses in early hours as investors reacted to the previous session’s sharp decline.
The market opened on a positive note, extending some recovery after Thursday’s heavy sell-off. By around 9:22am, the KSE-100 Index had climbed by 752.92 points to reach 153,660, with trading volume recorded at 4.64 million shares.
However, the early optimism did not last long. Within minutes, selling pressure returned and pushed the index into negative territory shortly after 9:31am. The decline picked up pace, and by 10:09am the index had dropped by 1,450.02 points to 151,457.94, as volume surged to over 40.28 million shares, showing increased activity amid the sharp swings.
The market later staged another recovery. After 10:32am, buying interest helped the index move back into the green. By 10:35am, the KSE-100 was up by 426.46 points at 153,334.42, with volumes rising further to 64.87 million shares.
As of 11:58am on March 27, the index was recorded at 153,386.60, showing a gain of 478.64 points or 0.31 percent compared to the previous close. During the session, the market touched a high of 153,660.88 and a low of 151,457.94, reflecting a wide intraday range. Total traded volume had reached 111.47 million shares by that time.
On a broader scale, the index has posted a 30.20 percent gain over the past one year, though it remains down 11.87 percent on a year-to-date basis. The previous closing level stood at 152,907.96.
Among actively traded stocks, KEL was seen at Rs7.10 with a modest gain, while UNITY and WTL also recorded increases. BOP traded higher as well. On the other hand, stocks such as PPL and OGDC remained under pressure and posted losses during the session.
In the list of top gainers, MFFLR1 led with a sharp rise of nearly 25 percent, followed by GUSM and FCSC, which also recorded strong gains. AWTX, KPUS and STL were among other stocks that posted gains close to 10 percent.
Meanwhile, on the losing side, INKL, HAFL and PIM were among the worst performers, each declining by around 10 percent. Other laggards included FIL, FIBLM and FTSM, which also saw notable declines.
The volatile movement comes a day after the PSX witnessed heavy selling pressure on Thursday. The KSE-100 Index had plunged by 5,405.48 points, or 3.41 percent, to close at 152,907.96. The session saw a wide trading range, as the index hit an intraday high of 157,591.23 before falling to a low of 152,668.07, indicating heightened uncertainty among investors.
Market participants are expected to remain cautious, with sentiment still fragile following the previous day’s steep losses and ongoing concerns around global developments.
