KARACHI: After a bullish start, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday came under renewed selling pressure amid looming uncertainty over the ongoing peace talks, which unsettled equity investors. They resorted to profit-taking, and as a result the benchmark KSE-100 index extended its losses for the second straight session.
Topline Securities Ltd said the index closed at 178,471 points, down 450 points or 0.25 per cent, as profit-taking emerged after the index’s earlier intraday rally and the strong gains recorded in previous sessions.
The index touched an intraday high of 180,507 points before easing to a low of 178,337 points as selling pressure intensified through the latter half of the session.
On the index contribution front, heavyweight constituents Fauji Fertiliser Company, Bank Al-Habib, Habib Bank, Lucky Cement, and MCB Bank collectively shaved 326 points off the benchmark.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd (AHL), said the PSX recorded a range-bound session, with market sentiment remaining mixed and participants largely lacking a clear directional bias, resulting in an overall flat close.
On the geopolitical front, improving US-Iran relations, progress toward ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s upcoming visit to Pakistan have strengthened optimism around regional stability. Meanwhile, the continued decline in international oil prices is providing further support to Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook.
Investor participation weakened sharply, with traded volume dipping 23.1pc to 807.4 million shares and total turnover plunging 33.17pc to Rs36bn. WorldCall Telecom Ltd led the volume chart with 59.5m shares traded.
Analysts expect sentiment to remain headline-driven, with oil price movements, geopolitical developments, and flows into blue-chip names guiding the short-term direction.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2026
