PSX Closing Bell: Bears Run the Show

March 04, 2026 (MLN): The KSE-100 Index witnessed a pullback on Wednesday, retreating after Tuesday’s strong rebound, as lingering geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment.

The benchmark index closed at 155,777.21, down 1,354.88 points or 0.86%.

Trading was volatile within a range of 3,171.74 points, hitting an intraday high of 157,962.47 (+830.38) and a low of 154,790.73 (-2,341.36).

Total trading volume of the KSE-100 Index stood at 362.16 million shares, reflecting moderate activity as investors remained cautious following yesterday’s rally.

After a strong recovery on Tuesday, when the market gained over 5,000 points on bargain buying across key sectors, Wednesday’s session saw profit-taking and renewed risk aversion triggered by heightened uncertainty in the Middle East. Concerns over escalating tensions between the United States and Iran weighed heavily on global markets, leading investors to scale back positions in riskier assets.

Market breadth remained tilted toward declines, with 38 stocks closing higher, 61 lower, and 1 unchanged.

Top gainers included UNITY (+10.81%), SSGC (+6.29%), TPLRF1 (+5.77%), UPFL (+5.23%), and YOUW (+4.63%), while top losers were IBFL (-6.46%), AKBL (-5.94%), PABC (-5.00%), SCBPL (-4.73%), and KOHC (-4.57%).

In terms of index-point contribution, major drags came from ENGROH (-262.78pts), HBL (-206.23pts), UBL (-173.36pts), NBP (-129.91pts), and LUCK (-118.54pts), whereas support was provided by EFERT (+160.44pts), PPL (+105.60pts), OGDC (+70.26pts), PSO (+47.78pts), and MARI (+41.87pts).

Sector-wise, losses were led by Commercial Banks (-897.05pts), Cement (-253.48pts), Investment Banks/Investment Companies/Securities Companies (-242.80pts), Technology & Communication (-103.81pts), and Power Generation & Distribution (-80.61pts).

The market found support in Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+187.53pts), Oil & Gas Marketing Companies (+70.72pts), Fertilizer (+51.89pts), Real Estate Investment Trusts (+37.37pts), and Food & Personal Care Products (+34.92pts).

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 92,994.51, down 572.35 points or 0.61%.

Total market volume reached 622.69 million shares, down from 770.70 million in the previous session, while traded value declined by Rs14.41 billion to Rs29.95 billion, reflecting a cautious trading environment.

A total of 303,383 trades were reported in 479 companies, with 201 advancing, 213 declining, and 65 remaining unchanged, indicating that despite yesterday’s positive momentum, investors remain wary as Middle East tensions continue to cast a shadow over the market.

To note, the KSE-100 has gained 30,150 points or 24.00% during the fiscal year, whereas it has decreased 18,277 points or 10.50% so far this calendar year.

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