KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a largely directionless session on Monday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index closed with a small nominal gain of 40.49 points, or 0.03%, ending the day at 119,689.63. The market oscillated between a high of 120,285.54 and a low of 119,250.67, spanning an intraday range of over 1,000 points, reflecting investor caution amid a lack of fresh triggers.
Trading volumes for the KSE-100 stood at 119.5 million shares, while overall market activity also declined with total volume dropping to 425.37 million shares, compared to 572.29 million in the previous session. Traded value shrank to Rs22.27 billion, marking a Rs6.75 billion decline day-on-day.
While some heavyweight stocks continued to lend support to the index—particularly from the investment, oil marketing, and engineering sectors—the gains were partially offset by pressure in key segments including cement, technology, exploration and production (E&P), and commercial banks. The session remained mixed, with 50 index companies closing in the green and 49 in the red, while one remained unchanged.
Market breadth in the broader All-Share Index also showed weakness, which slipped 20.99 points or 0.03% to settle at 74,188.26. The day saw 286,725 trades across 465 companies, out of which 222 advanced, 199 declined, and 44 closed flat.
Despite Monday’s lukewarm close, the KSE-100 remains firmly in positive territory for the fiscal year, having gained 41,245 points or 52.58%. On a calendar year-to-date basis, the index is up by 4,563 points or 3.96%.
Investors are now expected to keep a close watch on macroeconomic developments, budget-related expectations, and any clarity regarding the upcoming IMF engagement before committing strongly in either direction.
