RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange began the week on a measured note Monday, closing mixed as the market oscillated between gains and profit-taking throughout the session.

The benchmark index slipped to 161,687.18, reflecting a decline of 248.01 points from Friday’s close of 161,935.19, with the day’s movement confined between an intraday high of 163,602.16 and a low of 161,481.69.

Momentum in the broader board remained firm, with the BRIndex100 closing at 17,054.06 after inching up by 2.78 points or 0.02 percent, supported by volumes that reached 963.476 million shares. BRIndex30 also registered an advance, rising 159.46 points or 0.29 percent to settle at 54,431.59, driven by turnover of 752.586 million shares.

Trading activity continued to build as the session progressed, and the market displayed alternating phases of accumulation and selling pressure. According to a Ali Najib of Arif Habib Limited, buying interest in FFC, PIOC, K-Electric, Khyber Textile Mills and Pakistan Petroleum added an estimated 369 points to the KSE-100 Index, while profit-taking in Lucky Cement, United Bank, Mari Petroleum, Hub Power and Maple Leaf Cement collectively trimmed roughly 395 points from the benchmark.

Total turnover in the ready counter surged to 1.214 billion shares compared with 673 million shares traded in the previous session, while traded value climbed to Rs41.376 billion against Rs34.647 billion earlier.

Market capitalization moved higher despite the dip in major indices, closing at Rs18.449 trillion — an increase of Rs16.10 billion from the prior session’s Rs18.434 trillion — supported by gains in several mid-tier and wider-market counters.

Advancing issues outpaced declining ones, with 253 companies closing higher, 192 finishing lower and 36 remaining unchanged out of 481 traded in the ready market. Among the day’s most active counters, K-Electric Ltd. led with 296.27 million shares and closed at Rs5.80. Beco Steel followed with 107.34 million shares at Rs8.14, while TPL Properties traded 73.35 million shares to close at Rs11.77.

Major price movements were led by Unilever Pakistan Foods Ltd., which posted the day’s sharpest increase after rising by Rs943.08 to close at Rs29,499.67, followed by PIA Holding Company-B, which strengthened by Rs484.00 to end at Rs25,000.00. On the losing side, Khyber Textile Mills Ltd. declined by Rs82.13 to finish at Rs1,910.00, while Sapphire Textile Mills Ltd. dropped Rs73.01 to settle at Rs1,391.00.

Sector-wise performance, based on BR indices, presented a varied trend across the board. The BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 24,612.65 after recording a marginal dip of 24.96 points or 0.10 percent, with total turnover standing at 8.697 million shares. The BR Cement Index also moved lower, ending at 12,725.90 following a decline of 146.09 points or 1.13 percent, where turnover reached 47.860 million shares.

The BR Commercial Banks Index slipped 214 points or 0.44 percent to close at 48,429.50, driven by volumes of 61.757 million shares. In contrast, the BR Power Generation and Distribution Index posted a positive close at 25,176.88 as it gained 90.22 points or 0.36 percent, supported by a substantial turnover of 306.097 million shares.

The BR Oil and Gas Index also finished slightly higher at 13,631.78 after nudging up by 1.23 points or 0.01 percent, on a turnover of 46.818 million shares. Strength was also visible in the BR Tech & Communication Index, which closed at 3,776.32 after adding 31.28 points or 0.84 percent, backed by 159.698 million shares traded.

Market analysts also pointed to evolving macroeconomic conditions shaping investor sentiment. Pakistan’s current account position shifted back into deficit territory, recording a shortfall of USD 112 million in October 2025 against a surplus of USD 296 million during the same month last year. The deterioration stemmed from a 13.4 percent year-on-year rise in imports alongside a 3.6 percent decline in exports. As a result, the current account deficit for the first four months of FY26 widened to USD 733 million compared with USD 206 million during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.