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KARACHI: Volatility persisted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday as the benchmark KSE-100 index fluctuated amid mixed sentiments, with no positive triggers on the economic front and no progress on the US-Iran peace deal. However, the index managed to close in the green late in the day on value-hunting.
According to Topline Securities Ltd, the index closed the session at 171,021.77 points, up 421.57 points or 0.25 per cent, as investor sentiment improved.
Market confidence strengthened primarily due to a decline in international oil prices, bolstering investor sentiment and encouraging buying across key sectors.
The positive market performance was largely driven by heavyweight stocks, including Meezan Bank, Fauji Fertiliser, United Bank, Pakistan Telecommunication Company and Pakistan Petroleum, which together contributed approximately 460 points to the benchmark index.
However, investor participation declined, with total trading volume falling 6.60pc to 550.79 million shares and traded value decreasing 14.19pc to Rs27.4 billion.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, said the PSX recorded a mixed session, with the market opening on a buoyant note amid growing expectations of a potential US-Iran peace deal in the coming days. The index reached an intraday high of 171,856, up 1,256 points. However, profit-taking at higher levels erased early gains, dragging the index to an intraday low of 170,249, down 352 points, before a modest recovery by close.
On the macro front, media reports suggest that the FY27 federal budget presentation has been postponed to June 10-12 from the previously scheduled date of June 5.
On the sectoral side, total cement despatches declined 21pc year-on-year to 3.8m tonnes in May. Local sales fell to 3.2m tonnes, down from 3.9m tonnes a year earlier, while exports dropped 36pc year-on-year to 632,648 tonnes, down from 989,434 tonnes, largely due to fewer working days during the Eid holidays.
The brokerage house noted that the US-Iran diplomatic front remains a key market catalyst. Signs of regional de-escalation are bolstering investor confidence, although uncertainty over a lasting agreement continues to fuel market volatility.
Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026
