The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended Monday’s session on a cautiously positive note, with the KSE-100 Index posting a modest gain of 81.79 points, closing at 122,225.35. The marginal uptick of 0.07 percent reflected a tug-of-war between cautious sentiment and selective buying interest across key sectors.
The day’s trading saw significant volatility, with the benchmark index moving within a wide intraday range of over 1,000 points. The index reached a session high of 122,903.33 points, reflecting a gain of 759.77 points, before retreating to an intraday low of 121,889.95, down by 253.61 points. Ultimately, the market settled just above the neutral line, backed by selective sector strength.
A total of 181.44 million shares were traded within the KSE-100 Index. Investor mood remained mixed, influenced by two key macro triggers: the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision to keep the monetary policy rate unchanged at 11 percent, and ongoing geopolitical unease stemming from the Iran-Israel conflict. Both factors reinforced a risk-averse stance in early trade before bargain hunting helped recover some ground.
Out of 100 index-listed companies, 52 closed in the green, 47 in the red, and one remained unchanged. Among the top gainers of the day were BNWM, which hit its upper limit with a 10 percent rise, followed by YOUW (+6.75%), NBP (+4.62%), UNITY (+3.80%), and NML (+3.41%). These stocks benefited from institutional accumulation and favorable sector outlooks.
On the losing side, PKGP fell sharply by 10 percent, making it the day’s biggest drag on the index. Other notable losers included KTML (-3.90%), TPLRF1 (-3.57%), DGKC (-1.81%), and PIOC (-1.80%).
In terms of point contributions, the index was largely lifted by gains in BAHL (+123.84 points), OGDC (+90.39 points), NBP (+80.94 points), MARI (+43.92 points), and MEBL (+31.81 points). Conversely, PKGP’s significant drop led to a pullback of 145.87 points, followed by LUCK (-71.57 points), ENGROH (-37.69 points), FFC (-27.70 points), and EFERT (-26.52 points).
Sector performance painted a mixed picture. The index was supported primarily by Commercial Banks (+268.49 points), Oil and Gas Exploration Companies (+131.75 points), and Textile Composite (+18.51 points). On the downside, Power Generation & Distribution (-142.00 points), Cement (-133.59 points), and Fertilizer (-42.01 points) sectors weighed heavily.
The broader market showed more momentum than the benchmark. The All-Share Index closed at 76,334.69, gaining 279.48 points or 0.37 percent. Total market volume surged to 1.22 billion shares, up from 968.35 million in the previous session, though the traded value decreased to Rs25.75 billion from Rs29.56 billion.
Trading activity spanned 471 listed companies, with 282 advancing, 159 declining, and 30 remaining unchanged. The most actively traded stocks by volume included WTL (267 million shares), PASLNC (92 million), FCSC (86 million), KOSM (73 million), and MDTL (56 million).
While the session closed in the green, the underlying sentiment remained fragile. Market participants appear to be awaiting stronger cues from both domestic macroeconomic developments and the evolving regional landscape before making sustained moves. The day’s closing suggests that while bulls are still in play, caution remains the dominant theme for now.