Pakistani equities witnessed a sharp decline on Thursday as heightened uncertainty surrounding ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations unsettled investors, triggering broad-based selling across the market.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index dropped by 5,645 points, or 3.6 percent, during intraday trading to touch 152,668 points compared with 158,313 points in the previous session. The index later recovered slightly but still closed sharply lower at 152,907 points, down 5,405 points or 3.4 percent.
Market sentiment remained fragile throughout the session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange as investors adopted a risk-averse stance amid geopolitical concerns and uncertainty over potential regional economic implications.
Trading activity remained active despite the sell-off, with approximately 313 million shares exchanged, generating a turnover of Rs.23.2 billion.
A total of 567 listed companies traded during the session. Among them, 71 stocks recorded gains, 356 declined, while 140 remained unchanged, reflecting widespread weakness across sectors.
Top Traded Stocks by Volume
| Scrip | Price (Rs.) | High | Low | Change | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEL | 7.06 | 7.79 | 6.90 | -0.74 | 96,740,260 |
| FNEL | 1.18 | 1.24 | 1.17 | -0.05 | 33,024,724 |
| UNITY | 8.26 | 8.65 | 8.21 | -0.31 | 25,118,960 |
| WTL | 1.19 | 1.27 | 1.18 | -0.07 | 23,208,086 |
| BOP | 25.70 | 26.60 | 25.60 | -0.94 | 17,078,881 |
| FCCL | 40.55 | 41.69 | 40.30 | -1.43 | 16,085,730 |
| CNERGY | 6.82 | 7.05 | 6.79 | -0.26 | 15,293,118 |
Market participants noted that geopolitical developments remain a key driver of short-term sentiment, with investors closely monitoring diplomatic progress and its potential impact on regional stability and capital flows.
