PSX Closing Bell: The Long Goodbye

Mettis Link News reported that the KSE-100 index fell 1.79 per cent on Thursday, ending at 168,865.04 after a loss of 3,078.55 points. Sellers dominated the Pakistan Stock Exchange as crude prices climbed past $101 per barrel and strain in the Middle East raised fears of supply disruptions. Only three of the benchmark's 100 constituents finished higher, while 96 declined and one was flat.

Trading swung sharply inside a 3,474.05 point range, with the index reaching 171,945.83 at its peak before dropping to 168,471.78 at the low. The heaviest point drags were MEBL, FFC, PPL, OGDC and HUBC, while Commercial Banks, Oil & Gas Exploration Companies and Fertilizer were the sectors that pulled hardest on the benchmark. Among the largest losers, SSGC fell 6.53 per cent, KTML slipped 6.37 per cent and PIBTL retreated 5.91 per cent, whereas PSEL edged up 1.53 per cent.

The All-Share Index ended at 102,295.04, down 1.94 per cent, while overall volume reached 628.67 million shares, up from 477.67 million in the previous session. Traded value grew by Rs4.38 billion to Rs27.02 billion across 424,887 trades in 499 companies. Measured from the start of the fiscal year, the KSE-100 has shed 11,437 points, or 6.34 per cent, and since the calendar year began it is down 5,189 points, or 2.98 per cent.