Karachi, April 23, 2025 — The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a sharp downturn on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 index plummeted by 1,204 points, triggered by heightened geopolitical tensions in the region.
The index closed at 117,226 points, sharply lower than the previous day’s close of 118,430 points.
After enjoying a four-day bullish streak, the local bourse saw a strong wave of profit-taking as investor sentiment turned wary. According to analysts at Topline Securities Limited, the KSE-100 index faced intense volatility throughout the session, hitting an intraday low of 117,121 — a drop of 1,309 points — before partially recovering to close with a significant 1.02% decline.
The sharp fall in the index was largely driven by growing regional tensions, which prompted investors to shift to a risk-off approach. Concerns over potential conflict spillovers and global market uncertainty led market participants to offload their holdings and lock in recent profits.
Market activity was further pressured by negative contributions from heavyweight stocks such as United Bank Limited (UBL), Hub Power Company (HUBC), Habib Metropolitan Bank (HMB), Mari Petroleum (MARI), and Engro Fertilizers (ENGROH). Collectively, these stocks dragged the KSE-100 index down by 526 points, amplifying the day’s losses.
Despite the steep drop in the index, overall investor participation remained strong. The session saw a total trading volume of 604 million shares, while the market’s turnover stood at Rs 27.7 billion. Bank of Punjab (BOP) emerged as the volume leader, with an impressive 58 million shares traded during the day.
Market watchers noted that while the short-term outlook for the KSE-100 index appears uncertain due to external pressures, underlying investor interest remains intact. If geopolitical concerns ease, analysts believe the index could find support in upcoming earnings announcements and potential policy clarity on the domestic front.
In the meantime, cautious trading is expected to dominate the market as investors closely monitor regional developments and reassess their risk exposure.