PSX Closing Bell: Hard Day’s Night for Bulls

April 13, 2026 (MLN): Stocks at the Pakistan Stock Exchange suffered heavy losses on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index falling sharply as escalating geopolitical tensions and rising global oil prices triggered widespread selling across the board.

The KSE-100 Index closed at 160,591.33, down 6,600.04 points or 3.95%. The index remained under pressure throughout the session, trading in a range of 3,453.19 points, with an intraday high of 163,612.11 (-3,579.26 points) and a low of 160,158.92 (-7,032.45 points).

Market participation remained active, with total volume in the KSE-100 Index recorded at 324.64 million shares.

Market breadth was heavily negative, as 93 companies closed lower, only 5 advanced, and 2 remained unchanged, emphasizing the dominance of sellers.

Among the biggest decliners, YOUW (-10.43%), NPL (-8.42%), PIBTL (-8.14%), DGKC (-7.38%), and FCCL (-7.22%) led the losses. On the other hand, limited gains were recorded in SRVI (+1.46%), HGFA (+0.99%), TPLRF1 (+0.77%), PGLC (+0.70%), and RMPL (+0.11%).

In terms of index-point contribution, the decline was led by heavyweights including FFC (-688.43 points), UBL (-530.68 points), ENGROH (-479.29 points), LUCK (-388.35 points), and MEBL (-327.02 points). Minor support came from SRVI (+16.62 points), TPLRF1 (+2.46 points), HGFA (+1.28 points), RMPL (+0.34 points), and PGLC (+0.03 points).

Sector-wise, the selloff was broad-based, with Commercial Banks (-1,903.66 points), Fertilizer (-894.55 points), Cement (-885.55 points), Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (-608.03 points), and Investment Banks/Companies/Securities Companies (-513.51 points) leading the decline. Modest support came from leather & tanneries and select smaller sectors.

Investor sentiment weakened sharply as crude oil prices surged following heightened geopolitical tensions. The United States moved toward enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports after diplomatic talks in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement. Earlier, Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. could extend its actions to the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of disruptions to global energy supplies.

The breakdown of the temporary two-week ceasefire agreement, under which Iran had previously agreed to allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, further fueled concerns over supply risks. The resulting spike in oil prices added pressure to global markets and weighed heavily on sentiment at the local bourse.

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 95,972.73, down 3,599.83 points or 3.62%. Total market volume stood at 743.23 million shares, while traded value fell to Rs34.29 billion.

A total of 483 companies were traded during the session, of which 66 advanced, 377 declined, and 40 remained unchanged, reflecting the strongly bearish mood that dominated the market.

To note, the KSE-100 has gained 34,964 points or 27.83% during the fiscal year, whereas it has decreased 13,463 points or 7.73% so far this calendar year.

Copyright Mettis Link News