Karachi, February 19, 2026 – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) experienced a sharp decline on Thursday as the KSE-100 index nosedived by 6,683 points, marking one of the steepest single-day drops this year. The benchmark index closed at 172,170 points, down from the previous day’s 178,853 points, reflecting widespread selling pressure across sectors.
Market analysts attributed the decline to rising oil prices and escalating US-Iran tensions, which dampened investor confidence. Both foreign and local investors turned cautious, contributing to the broad-based sell-off. Significant declines were observed in cement, commercial banks, fertilizer, oil and gas exploration, OMCs, and power generation sectors. Heavyweights such as ARL, HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, PSO, SNGPL, MCB, MEBL, and NBP traded in the red.
The PSX market summary is as follows:
| Parameter | Value |
| Current Index | 172,170.29 |
| Change | -6,682.80 |
| Percent Change | -3.74% |
| High | 179,279.74 |
| Low | 171,647.33 |
| Volume | 229,011,699 |
| Previous Close | 178,853.09 |
| Market Value (PKR) | 22,161,548,667 |
In a related development, the Privatization Commission Board (PC Board), chaired by Muhammad Ali, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization, formed a Negotiation Committee to engage with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the proposed privatization of Islamabad International Airport (IIA).
Investors are advised to monitor global developments closely, as ongoing geopolitical tensions and commodity price fluctuations are likely to keep market sentiment volatile in the coming days.