KSE-100 plummets over 1,300 points to close in red after early gains

Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index was trading in the red, down 1,354.88 points by the close of the session on Wednesday, taking back the recovery seen earlier in the day.

In early trade on Wednesday, the index briefly slipped more than 2,300 points around 9:20am, touching an intraday low of 154,790.73 before regaining ground by 10:30am, trading 381.98 points higher.

This volatility suggests that investor confidence still remains cautious, following a turbulent start to the week.

On Tuesday, the market staged a sharp rebound of 5,159.10 points to close at 157,132.09, recovering a significant portion of Monday’s record 16,000-plus point plunge, the largest single-session decline in the history of the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

The turbulence reflects broader global uncertainty. Escalating US-Israel clashes with Iran have pushed oil prices to a 19-month high and weighed on international equities, as investors grapple with the risk of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

Topline Securities noted that the “overall sentiment remained fragile amid escalating geopolitical tensions, which dampened global risk appetite”.

The brokerage house also observed that regional Asian markets largely traded in the red, and the local bourse followed the same negative trajectory, mirroring the broader risk-off environment.

This marks the range of today’s session so far, between 157,962.47 points and 154,790.73, signaling recovery along with flux at the exchange as geopolitical uncertainty continues into the week.

While the local bourse appears to be stabilising after Monday’s shock, sustained recovery will likely depend on external developments and the trajectory of global commodity markets in the days ahead.