PSX Closing Bell: Bulls Stumble

July 24, 2026 (MLN): The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed Friday's session lower, although the benchmark KSE-100 Index staged a recovery from its intraday low as late-session buying in select stocks helped pare earlier losses.

The market remained under pressure amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran.

However, a nearly 3% decline in oil prices in  trading offered some relief to investors concerned about rising energy costs and Pakistan's external account. Despite the drop, crude remained on track for a weekly gain of around 10% as the ongoing military tensions continued to fuel concerns over global energy supplies.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index concluded Friday's trading session at 171,021.20, showing a decrease of 718.24 points or 0.42%.

The index traded in a range of 3,205.78 points, touching an intraday high of 172,718.66 (+979.22 points) and a low of 169,512.88 (-2,226.56 points).

The total volume traded in the KSE-100 Index stood at 228.53 million shares.

Of the 100 index companies, 32 closed higher, 67 ended lower, while 1 remained unchanged.

Top losers during the day were IBFL (-4.35%), LOTCHEM (-2.93%), TGL (-2.33%), NBP (-2.18%), and CHCC (-1.97%).

On the gaining side were PGLC (+6.71%), AICL (+6.38%), TRG (+3.66%), TPLRF1 (+3.04%), and HGFA (+2.19%).

In terms of index-point contributions, UBL (-166.97pts), NBP (-77.27pts), SYS (-75.06pts), HBL (-71.97pts), and FFC (-44.79pts) exerted the biggest drag on the benchmark.

Meanwhile, AICL (+34.39pts), TRG (+25.92pts), MEBL (+25.47pts), ENGROH (+16.19pts), and FCCL (+14.78pts) provided support to the index.

Sector-wise, the KSE-100 Index was let down by Commercial Banks (-370.92pts), Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (-115.40pts), Technology & Communication (-75.73pts), Cement (-53.14pts), and Fertilizer (-50.18pts).

On the positive side, Insurance (+34.39pts), Investment Banks / Investment Companies / Securities Companies (+29.71pts), Real Estate Investment Trust (+12.56pts), Paper, Board & Packaging (+10.66pts), and Automobile Parts & Accessories (+7.35pts) supported the index.

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 103,836.38, down 422.85 points or 0.41%.

Total market volume stood at 579.94 million shares, compared with 525.12m in the previous session, while traded value increased by Rs0.47bn to Rs23.90bn.

A total of 355,315 trades were reported across 492 companies, with 186 stocks closing higher, 270 lower, and 36 remaining unchanged.

To note, the KSE-100 has lost 9,280 points or 5.15% during the fiscal year, whereas it has decreased 3,033 points or 1.74% so far this calendar year.

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