The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a massive sell-off on Monday as global market sentiment turned bearish following the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The geopolitical uncertainty sent shockwaves through financial markets worldwide, and the PSX was no exception.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index dropped by 3,855.76 points, registering a sharp decline of 3.21%, and closed at 116,167.47 points, down from 120,023.23 points in the previous trading session. During the session, the index hit a low of 115,887.48 and a high of 118,798.51.
Trading activity also slowed significantly, with 193.4 million shares exchanged, compared to 421.6 million shares in the prior session. The total trading value stood at Rs 15.517 billion, slightly lower than the Rs 15.651 billion recorded earlier.
Out of 467 listed companies, only 56 posted gains, while 385 closed in the red, and 26 remained unchanged. The marketwide selling pressure was particularly strong in major sectors such as automobile assemblers, oil and gas explorers, oil marketing companies, power producers, and commercial banks.
Blue-chip stocks like OGDC, PPL, POL, HUBCO, and PSO saw significant declines, contributing heavily to the index’s downfall.
Analysts attribute the plunge to investor panic driven by fears of further escalation in the Middle East, which could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability, oil prices, and emerging market investment flows.
