Karachi, July 18, 2025 – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed heavy profit-taking on Friday, just hours after the benchmark KSE-100 index crossed the historic psychological barrier of 140,000 points for the first time in its history.
While early trading painted a bullish picture, the session ended on a bearish note as investors rushed to lock in gains ahead of the weekend.
The KSE-100 index soared to an all-time intraday high of 140,585 points, registering a gain of 1,920 points or 1.38% in early trading. However, the surge was short-lived as profit-taking emerged in the second half of the session. By the closing bell, the index had slipped by 68 points, settling at 138,597 — down from Thursday’s close of 138,665 points.
Market experts at Topline Securities Limited observed that the day started on a strong note due to institutional buying, but the momentum reversed as traders opted for profit-taking, wary of potential volatility ahead. The rapid climb in recent weeks appears to have prompted investors to cash in on high valuations.
Among the top contributors to the index’s gains were Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), United Bank Limited (UBL), Engro Corporation (ENGROH), Pakistan Services Limited (PSEL), Pakistan Aluminium Beverage Cans (PABC), and Engro Fertilizers (EFERT). Together, these stocks added a total of 1,052 points to the index. However, losses in Systems Limited (SYS), Meezan Bank (MEBL), Hub Power (HUBC), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), and Mari Petroleum (MARI) erased 345 points from the index.
In terms of trading activity, the day was led by high-value transactions in FFC (PKR 3.2 billion), Lucky Cement (LUCK – PKR 1.9 billion), ENGROH (PKR 1.37 billion), Askari Bank (AKBL – PKR 1.33 billion), Attock Refinery (ATRL – PKR 1.16 billion), and UBL (PKR 1.03 billion).
Total trading volume reached 608 million shares, with the traded value amounting to PKR 31.6 billion. Despite the temporary retreat, analysts remain cautiously optimistic, though they warn that continued profit-taking could keep the PSX volatile in the coming sessions. Nonetheless, the strong rally and ongoing market interest suggest that the PSX retains upward potential once profit-taking pressures ease.