KARACHI: Volatile conditions persisted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) for the third straight session on Tuesday as jittery investors resorted to offloading their positions amid rising economic uncertainty stemming from the Middle East conflict, pushing the benchmark KSE-100 index below the 180,000-point level.
Topline Securities Ltd said the PSX witnessed renewed selling pressure, with the index extending its decline amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and profit-taking across major index-heavy sectors.
Market activity remained volatile throughout the session, as early gains failed to hold amid rising crude oil prices and diminishing prospects of a near-term US-Iran agreement.
The index closed at 179,846.68 points, down 1,463.60 points, or 0.81 per cent. The index touched an intraday high of 181,017 points before retreating to a low of 179,778 points, reflecting an intraday trading range of 1,238 points.
On the downside, Fauji Fertiliser, Lucky Cement, Engro Holdings, United Bank and Bank Al-Habib emerged as the largest drags on the benchmark, collectively shaving approximately 778 points off the index.
Ali Najib, deputy head of trading at Arif Habib Ltd, said that despite a positive opening, investor sentiment remained depressed amid rising international oil prices.
On the corporate front, Fauji Cement Company Ltd reported FY26 net earnings of Rs16.2bn, up 21pc year-on-year, while earnings per share stood at Rs6.6. The company also announced a final cash dividend of Rs1.5 per share.
Market activity weakened, with traded volume falling 6.21pc to 860 million shares and total turnover dipping 13.26pc to Rs38.86bn. Cnergyico PK topped the volume chart with 133.9 million shares traded.
Analysts expect the PSX to remain volatile but broadly range-bound, with geopolitical developments likely to dictate the next major move.
Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2026
