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KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) received a massive battering for the third straight session on Monday, as investors continued offloading their positions to book profits, forcing the benchmark index to hit an intraday low of 182,303 after a five-day record-setting spell in the new calendar year that catapulted it to an unprecedented 187,000-point-plus.
According to Topline Securities Ltd, the market witnessed a noticeable slowdown in activity as buying interest from local funds tapered off following last week’s robust rally. With the market having advanced nearly 3 per cent on a week-on-week basis, investors chose to lock in gains, resulting in broad-based profit-taking during the session.
The index came under pressure early on, touching an intraday low of 2,106 points, before settling at 182,384.15, down 2,025.52 points or 1.10pc. The pullback appeared to be a healthy consolidation after the recent sharp up-move, rather than a shift in the market’s underlying sentiment.
On the downside, System Ltd, United Bank, Meezan Bank, Engro Holdings, and Fauji Fertiliser cumulatively contributed 782 points to the index’s decline.
Market participation edged up with the total volume rising 2.41pc to 105 billion shares. However, the traded value fell 8.75pc to Rs. 48.2bn. Fauji Fertiliser led the volume chart, with 65.6 million shares changing hands.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd (AHL), said PSX commenced the week on a negative note, with market sentiment remaining weak amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, particularly in the Middle East. The exchange of aggressive diplomatic statements kept investors cautious and risk-averse throughout the session.
On the corporate front, Nishat Chunian Power Ltd and Nishat Power Ltd hit their upper caps following NexGen Auto, a subsidiary of the Nishat Group, introducing the Jaecoo J5 HEV in Pakistan over the weekend at a price point that undercuts competing models.
Analysts at AHL believe the market may consolidate for a few sessions within the 180,000-187,000 range amid rising geopolitical uncertainty. However, any pullback should offer an opportunity to strengthen positions, as the market remains fundamentally well supported.
Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2026
