KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), which had opened higher in the morning, slipped into negative territory by mid‑day Thursday as investors booked profits and sentiment turned cautious.
At 1:15 pm, the KSE‑100 index was down 181 points, settling at 167,269.52, a decline of 0.11 per cent. The broader All‑Share Index fell 133 points (−0.13pc) to 100,867.44, while the KSE‑30 dropped 87 points (−0.17pc) to 49,995.60.
Trading activity remained strong, with 432.3 million shares worth Rs11.47 billion changing hands across 188,773 transactions. Market breadth tilted negative, as 242 scrips declined against 215 advancing, with 105 unchanged.
Sectoral performance showed weakness in banking stocks, where the BKTI index shed 173 points (−0.38pc), reflecting investor caution over liquidity and policy signals. In contrast, the KMI‑30 index, tracking Shariah‑compliant counters, managed a modest gain of 81 points (0.03pc), suggesting selective buying in Islamic equities.
Analysts noted that the downturn underscores profit‑taking after the morning rebound, with participants awaiting clarity on macroeconomic developments. “The market has slipped back into negative territory, showing that investor confidence remains fragile despite early gains,” a brokerage note observed.
