PSX witnesses lackluster session amid continuing Middle East conflict

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s KSE-100 Index saw range-bound movement with notable trading activity on Tuesday, as market participants remained cautious amid elevated geopolitical risks following escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, according to Pearl Securities.

The market extended yesterday’s momentum, reaching an intraday high of 122,891.61 points — up 666.25 points.

However, profit-taking in the latter part of the session dragged the index down, with the KSE-100 closing at 121,971.04, marking a decline of 254.32 points or 0.21 per cent.

Meanwhile, Pakistan posted a current account deficit of $103 million in May 2025. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also directed that the Reko Diq project be linked to the rail network by 2028, Al Habib Capital reported.

“The benchmark index closed relatively flat after a volatile session, as persistent geopolitical tensions and rising international oil prices kept investor sentiment cautious,” noted Ismail Iqbal Securities.

Market participants also remained focused on the MPC decision, which met expectations with a status quo on interest rates — resulting in a muted close, it added.

“Amid growing uncertainty over the Iran-Israel tensions, investors opted to stay cautious, leading to a lack of clear direction throughout the session. Sentiment remained fragile as the market struggled to find firm footing,” Topline Securities observed.

On the upside, index heavyweights UBL, HBL, SYS, and OGDC provided some support, jointly adding 219 points. However, losses in PKGP, LUCK, ENGROH, and HUBC offset those gains, dragging the index down by a combined 291 points. Market activity remained strong, with volumes reaching 1.14 billion shares and total traded value clocking in at PKR 27.9 billion. WTL led the volume chart with an impressive 239 million shares traded.