KARACHI: After a strong rally in the previous session, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) traded within a narrow range on Thursday. The market showed mixed signals, as some investors remained bullish while others opted to book profits ahead of the futures contract roll-over week, according to Topline Securities.
The benchmark index fluctuated sharply during the day. It touched an intraday high of 1,384 points, up 0.88 per cent, before dipping 431 points, down 0.27 per cent. Eventually, the index closed with a marginal gain of 0.05 per cent at 158,037 points.
Analysts said the indecisive movement reflected caution among market participants. Elevated index levels and concerns about derivatives expiry kept overall sentiment restrained, leading to limited directional momentum throughout the session.
In terms of traded value, major activity was seen in OGDC with $21 million, followed by PSO at $20.9 million, BOP at $15.2 million, PPL at $13 million, and HUBC at $10 million.
HUBC, OGDC, BOP, SYS, and PSO made the biggest positive contributions, adding a total of 663 points to the index. On the other hand, UBL, ENGROH, HBL, FFC, and MARI pulled the index down by 248 points.
Daily traded volume stood at 2 billion shares, while traded value reached PKR 69 billion.
On a weekly basis, the PSX benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 2.3 per cent. Institutional buying and strong liquidity flows pushed the market to fresh highs during the week.
Economic data also influenced sentiment. The current account deficit for August 2025 stood at $245 million, down from $379 million in July. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment (FDI) fell to $114 million in August, a 30 per cent decline month-on-month and 45 per cent year-on-year.
For the week, average daily traded volume was 1.54 billion shares, while traded value was Rs50 billion, showing a steady rise in investor participation.
In other news read more about: PSX Closes Lower as Market Turns Bearish
