The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) experienced a turbulent trading session on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index swinging both ways before closing down by nearly 500 points. The market initially opened on a positive note, reaching an intra-day high of 158,850.34, but heavy selling pressure in the latter half dragged the index into negative territory.
At the close, the KSE-100 Index settled at 157,554.66, marking a decline of 482.71 points or 0.31%. Analysts link this drop to investor caution ahead of an upcoming IMF team visit on September 25, 2025, for the second semi-annual review of Pakistan’s $7-billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). According to Topline Securities, Pakistan is expected to meet all seven Quantitative Performance Criteria (QPC), including net international reserves and SWAP positions, for the March and June 2025 quarters.
The previous week saw bullish momentum in the PSX, where the KSE-100 index surged 3,597.68 points (2.3%), settling at 158,037.37 points, one of the year’s strongest rallies. The index even touched a weekly high of 159,337 points, boosted by a mix of domestic and global factors.
On the international front, Asian markets showed mixed trends. Tokyo’s Nikkei rose 1.3%, Taiwan stocks hit a record high, while India’s benchmark index slipped after the Trump administration announced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B worker visas, rattling the tech sector. Meanwhile, US stock futures and European markets signaled a subdued open.
In Monday’s trading, K-Electric Ltd led the volumes with 236.01 million shares, followed by Cnergyico PK with 158.72 million shares and Bank of Punjab (B.O.PunjabXD) with 126.79 million shares. Overall, shares of 483 companies were traded: 209 advanced, 252 declined, and 22 remained unchanged.
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