PSX Triggers Market Halt Amid 9% Plunge

March 02, 2026 (MLN): The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has temporarily halted all equity trading following a sharp 5% drop in the KSE-30 Index from the previous session’s close.

Trading is currently suspended as the exchange implements its volatility control measures, and all outstanding orders have been cancelled by the system during the halt, according to a PSX notification.

The KSE-100 Index was last seen at 152,991.15, down 15,071.01 points or 8.97%, which reflects broad-based selling across key sectors.

The index had traded in a range of 1,127.19 points, with an intraday high of 153,844.65 (-14,217.51 points) and a low of 152,717.46 (-15,344.70 points) before the halt, highlighting the intensity of the sell-off.

The session saw widespread weakness among listed companies, with none trading in positive territory, 94 declining, one remaining unchanged, and five untraded, as it emphasizes the broad-based nature of the market pressure.

Leading the losses were YOUW, which fell 17.66%, followed by CNERGY (-10.14%), UNITY (-10.03%), DHPL (-10.01%), and SSGC (-10.01%), while minimal gains were seen in a few counters such as PGLC (+0.15%), TPLRF1 and MEHT (unchanged), SHFA (-0.03%), and PSEL (-0.82%).

The halt follows intensified US-Iran hostilities that continue to disrupt global financial markets as crude oil recorded its biggest single-day gain in four years, emphasizing the severity of supply disruption fears.

The decline was largely driven by heavyweight stocks, with FFC, UBL, ENGROH, OGDC, and MEBL accounting for the bulk of the index-point losses. Sectors that contributed most to the downturn included Commercial Banks, Fertilizer, Oil & Gas Exploration Companies, Cement, and Investment Banks/Investment Companies/Securities Companies.

Support was negligible, coming from Leasing Companies, Close-End Mutual Funds, Synthetic & Rayon, Leather & Tanneries, and Textile Spinning, which barely offset the overall slide.

Trading is expected to resume in phases, with a pre-open session scheduled for 10:22 a.m. and the official market opening at 10:27 a.m. Investors and market participants are advised to exercise caution as the market stabilizes following this early session volatility.

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