PSX: KSE-100 down over 2,000 points amid escalating ME conflict

The KSE-100 fell 2,006.67 points, or 1.21%, to close at 163,924.31 on Thursday, Business Recorder reported, as investors responded to concerns about a widening conflict in the Middle East. The index had reached 166,180.32 early in the session, but persistent selling and short-lived recoveries took it to an intraday low of 163,782.41.

The decline followed Wednesday’s 779.34-point advance, when institutional buying, hopes for diplomatic progress on the US-Iran conflict and expectations around the draft Auto Policy 2026-31 supported the market. Overseas markets also faced pressure on Thursday: Asian shares outside Japan fell 0.2%, Japan’s Nikkei lost 0.4% and Korean shares dropped more than 1%, while US stock futures were lower. Business Recorder also noted that technology earnings offered some support to Wall Street, although uncertainty around AI spending remained in focus.