RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a sharp downturn on Monday as widespread profit-taking and weak investor sentiment dragged all major indices deep into negative territory.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index fell by 4,654.77 points, or 2.85 percent, to close at 158,443.42 points compared with 163,098.19 in the previous session. Throughout the day, the index moved within a narrow band of losses, hitting an intraday high of 161,988.13 and a low of 157,678.02, as sellers dominated the trading floor from the opening bell until the close.

The BRIndex100 closed at 16,587.14, down 460.46 points or 2.7 percent, with a total turnover of 1.17 billion shares, while the BRIndex30 settled at 52,338.25, showing a decline of 1,811.81 points or 3.35 percent, on a total volume of 812.87 million shares.

According to Topline Securities, the market came under sustained pressure as bearish sentiment gripped investors throughout the session. The brokerage noted that KSE-100 Index experienced a sharp sell-off, marking a steep decline. The pronounced downward trajectory was primarily driven by growing investor unease over escalating geopolitical tensions and a deteriorating law-and-order situation.

These developments weighed heavily on market confidence, prompting broad-based selling across key sectors. Notable laggards during the session included BAHL, ENGROH, LUCK, OGDC, and MARI, which collectively shaved off 1,261 points from the index.

Market breadth remained overwhelmingly negative, with 375 companies ending in the red against only 74 gainers, while 33 remained unchanged out of 482 traded scrips.

Overall activity in the ready market stood at 1.36 billion shares, slightly below the previous session’s 1.40 billion, though traded value rose sharply to Rs62.46 billion from Rs47.79 billion, indicating active participation in high-value stocks.

The market capitalization shrank by more than Rs530 billion, declining to Rs18.38 trillion from Rs18.91 trillion a day earlier.

Among actively traded stocks, K-Electric Limited topped the volume chart with 197.27 million shares, closing lower at Rs6.85. Bank of Punjab followed with 97.21 million shares, ending at Rs31.78. WorldCall Telecom registered 75.24 million shares, closing at Rs1.67.

Despite the widespread decline, a few stocks managed to post gains. Supernet Technologies Limited rose by Rs179.93 to close at Rs2,028.92, while Gillette Pakistan Limited gained Rs41.33 to finish at Rs454.64. On the downside, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited suffered the heaviest loss, plunging Rs491.47 to Rs29,358.53, followed by Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited, which slipped Rs352.05 to Rs9,526.94 as investors took profits in high-value counters.

The BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 24,533.02 with a net decline of 479.96 points or 1.92 percent and a total turnover of 5.28 million shares. The BR Cement Index fell to 12,608.16, down 429.75 points or 3.3 percent, with 86.73 million shares traded.

The BR Commercial Banks Index closed at 47,794.78, losing 1,298.34 points or 2.64 percent, on a turnover of 151.17 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index ended at 27,401.44 after shedding 639.05 points or 2.28 percent, with 224.17 million shares changing hands.

The BR Oil and Gas Index dropped 585.63 points or 4.13 percent to close at 13,581.43 on a total turnover of 69.55 million shares. The BR Technology and Communication Index declined 123.92 points or 3.2 percent to close at 3,750.43, with a robust volume of 191.83 million shares.

Analysts described the session as one of the sharpest market corrections in recent weeks, attributing the fall to heavy profit-taking, renewed foreign outflows, and investor caution over macroeconomic indicators. Analysts expect trading to remain choppy in the near term, with investors likely to adopt a cautious stance until clearer signals emerge on the economic front.