KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed a sharp downturn on the first trading day of the week, with heavy selling pressure dominating the market.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index closed with a massive decline of 6,600 points, settling at 160,591.
During intraday trading, the index touched a high of 163,612 points and a low of 160,158 points, reflecting significant volatility throughout the session.
Market activity remained robust, with over 320 million shares traded, amounting to a total value of approximately Rs28 billion.
Out of the total traded companies, shares of 66 firms registered gains, while 377 companies saw declines, indicating a broadly negative market sentiment.
Analysts attributed the sell-off to rising geopolitical concerns after the failure of negotiations between the United States and Iran, which fueled uncertainty and prompted investors to offload holdings.
On the other hand, Asian stock markets witnessed a sharp downturn after the United States announced a blockade of Iranian ports, triggering investor concerns across the region.
Regional markets also reflected bearish sentiment following the breakdown of United States–Iran negotiations.
According to reports, South Korea’s KOSPI Index dropped by 2.08%, Japan’s Nikkei Index fell by around 1%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index recorded a decline of over 1%.
Meanwhile, China’s Shanghai Composite Index also edged lower, indicating widespread market uncertainty across Asia amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
