PSX Closing Bell: A Bitter Finish

July 23, 2026 (MLN): The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended its losing streak on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index coming under heavy selling pressure amid escalating geopolitical tensions and a sharp rise in global oil prices.

Investor sentiment remained weak as Yemen's Houthi forces reportedly struck tankers in the Red Sea, while Washington carried out another wave of strikes against Iran, raising fresh concerns over disruptions to global energy supplies.

Brent oil climbed  to $96 per barrel, reaching their highest level in more than six weeks, increasing concerns over Pakistan's import bill and external sector pressures.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index concluded Thursday's trading session at 171,739.44, showing a decrease of 2,690.48 points or 1.54%.

The index traded in a range of 3,582.50 points, touching an intraday high of 175,237.59 (+807.67 points) and a low of 171,655.09 (-2,774.83 points).

The total volume traded in the KSE-100 Index stood at 242.21 million shares.

Of the 100 index companies, 9 closed higher, 91 ended lower.

Top losers during the day were SSGC (-6.97%), PIOC (-5.79%), KTML (-4.30%), DGKC (-4.03%), and TRG (-4.00%).

On the gaining side were YOUW (+3.13%), CNERGY (+2.23%), AIRLINK (+2.10%), ATRL (+1.73%), and IBFL (+1.09%).

In terms of index-point contributions, UBL (-390.23pts), FFC (-244.19pts), ENGROH (-200.26pts), LUCK (-167.72pts), and HUBC (-99.14pts) exerted the biggest drag on the benchmark.

Meanwhile, ATRL (+23.62pts), AIRLINK (+11.63pts), CNERGY (+10.62pts), BWCL (+7.73pts), and NESTLE (+5.02pts) provided support to the index.

Sector-wise, the KSE-100 Index was let down by Commercial Banks (-796.21pts), Cement (-414.66pts), Fertilizer (-358.29pts), Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (-286.21pts), and Investment Banks / Investment Companies / Securities Companies (-218.17pts).

On the positive side, Refinery (+34.24pts), Property (+4.82pts), Synthetic & Rayon (+1.76pts), Sugar & Allied Industries (+0.86pts), and Textile Weaving (+0.51pts) offered limited support.

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 104,259.23, down 1,427.41 points or 1.35%.

Total market volume stood at 525.12 million shares, compared with 695.70m in the previous session, while traded value declined by Rs1.98bn to Rs23.43bn.

A total of 368,749 trades were reported across 493 companies, with 91 stocks closing higher, 372 lower, and 30 remaining unchanged.

To note, the KSE-100 has lost 8,562 points or 4.75% during the fiscal year, whereas it has decreased 2,315 points or 1.33% so far this calendar year.

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