PSX Opening Bell: Early Slide

July 09, 2026 (MLN): The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened Thursday's session on a weaker note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index remaining under pressure as investors extended selling following Wednesday's sharp decline, while escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continued to dampen risk appetite.

Sentiment remained fragile after Wednesday's steep selloff of more than 4,600 points, driven by fears of a widening conflict between the United States and Iran.

The cautious mood persisted on Thursday as oil prices climbed further after renewed U.S. military action against Iran intensified concerns over potential disruptions to energy supplies in the Middle East.

The latest escalation came after the U.S. Central Command confirmed it had carried out fresh strikes on Iranian targets in response to attacks by Tehran on commercial vessels operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz, keeping investors on edge over the possibility of prolonged regional instability.

As of 9:40am, the benchmark KSE-100 Index stood at 181,066.79, down 562.57 points or 0.31%.

The index traded within a range of 1,034.94 points, touching an intraday high of 181,066.79 (-562.57 points) and a low of 180,031.85 (-1,597.51 points).

Total volume traded in the KSE-100 Index stood at 20.30 million shares.

Out of the 100 index constituents, 30 advanced, 65 declined, 1 remained unchanged, while 4 remained untraded.

Top losers during the session were PABC (-5.80%), GADT (-2.97%), GAL (-2.09%), PKGS (-1.86%), and AICL (-1.81%).

In terms of index-point contribution, FFC (-90.94pts), MCB (-77.62pts), UBL (-58.72pts), ENGROH (-50.12pts), and HUBC (-33.50pts) weighed the most on the benchmark.

Sector-wise, the index was dragged lower by Commercial Banks (-189.02pts), Fertilizer (-152.54pts), Automobile Assembler (-65.92pts), Cement (-61.89pts), and Investment Banks/Investment Companies/Securities Companies (-49.40pts).

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