KARACHI: Trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) stayed largely range-bound as cautious investor sentiment and persistent volatility shaped the session. The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 170,830.22, down 243.51 points, or 0.14%.
The index moved within a wide intraday band, hitting a high of 171,587.32 and a low of 170,641.13, highlighting uncertainty over short-term market direction. Early trading saw a positive tone, with the index climbing over 300 points on selective buying in heavyweight sectors such as commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration, oil marketing companies, and refineries. However, profit-taking at higher levels erased most of the early gains by the close.
Market participants largely adopted a wait-and-see approach, while attention remained on corporate developments following the conclusion of the PIA bidding process, which failed to generate lasting momentum. Cement stocks weighed on the index, whereas fertiliser and oil and gas shares offered support. Overall volumes rose to 811.5 million shares, with traded value reaching Rs29.7 billion.
