Concerns over possible disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude above $90 per barrel, keeping investors cautious.
The KSE-100 Index remained under pressure, closing at 176,976 points, down 0.41%, as renewed tensions between the United States and Iran weighed on investor sentiment.
Concerns surrounding a possible disruption to global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude oil prices above $90 per barrel, adding to uncertainty across financial markets.
The geopolitical developments prompted cautious trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange, with investors closely monitoring the potential economic impact of higher international oil prices and further escalation in regional tensions.
Among individual stocks, UBL, SYS, HBL, LUCK and PPL emerged as the biggest negative contributors to the benchmark index. Collectively, these companies dragged the KSE-100 Index down by approximately 755 points.
Despite the negative close, trading activity remained healthy during the session.
CNERGY led the market in terms of traded value, recording transactions worth Rs4.4 billion. It was followed by ATRL, with Rs2.5 billion worth of shares traded, while BOP recorded Rs1.85 billion in traded value.
Other actively traded stocks included PPL, with transactions worth Rs991 million, and OGDC, which recorded traded value of approximately Rs926 million.
Total trading volume for the day stood at 932 million shares, reflecting strong market participation despite the cautious sentiment. Meanwhile, the total value of shares traded reached approximately Rs39 billion.
The latest decline comes as investors remain highly sensitive to geopolitical developments and movements in global commodity prices. A sustained rise in crude oil prices could increase Pakistan’s import costs and add pressure to the country’s external account, making developments in the Middle East particularly important for local market participants.
Going forward, the direction of the KSE-100 Index is likely to remain dependent on developments surrounding US-Iran relations, international oil prices and domestic corporate and economic indicators.