The Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed a downturn on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index declining by 1,015.54 points, or 0.67%, to settle at 150,995.72 during midday trading.
Market sentiment remained largely negative as selling pressure dominated the session, with declining stocks significantly outnumbering gainers. Trading activity showed mixed signals, with total volumes recorded at 146.15 million shares and a traded value of approximately Rs10.54 billion.
Despite the subdued performance, overall participation across the broader market remained strong earlier in the session, reflecting investor activity in multiple scrips. Among individual stocks, K-Electric Limited attracted the highest attention, leading the volume chart with 195.8 million shares traded.
The index has experienced volatility in recent sessions, influenced by profit-taking and broader macroeconomic factors. While it still reflects substantial year-on-year growth, the market remains below its recent peak recorded earlier in 2026.
Earlier, The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw heavy selling on Thursday as geopolitical tensions escalated following US President Donald Trump’s warning of continued attacks on Iran. The benchmark KSE-100 Index dropped sharply by 5,344.44 points, or 3.44%, to hover at 150,167.12 in early trading.
Market analysts said the sharp decline wiped out the gains from Wednesday’s rally, which had pushed the KSE-100 past the 150,000-point mark amid optimism over easing tensions in the Middle East. Behtari Capital described Thursday’s trading as a harsh reality check, with the market reacting to a “triple threat” of escalating US-Iran conflict, rising oil prices, and surging inflation.
The latest data showed Pakistan’s CPI inflation climbing to 7.3%, increasing concerns over rising energy costs and reducing hopes for an interest rate cut by the State Bank of Pakistan in the near term. Selling was particularly strong in sectors including automobile assembly, cement, commercial banking, oil and gas exploration, OMCs, and power generation. Heavyweights such as MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, MCB, MEBL, NBP, and UBL traded in the red.
