Pakistan Stock Exchange drops 1,500 points amid profit‑taking before long weekend

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed lower on Friday as investors booked profits ahead of the long weekend, pulling the benchmark KSE‑100 index down by about 1,500 points to settle around 173,890.

The decline reduced the week’s gain to 4.5% after the index had rallied earlier in the week. Market participants trimmed exposure before the break, focusing selling pressure on heavyweight stocks.

The biggest drags were UBL, LUCK, ENGROH, FFC and PPL, which together removed 606 points from the index. Limited support came from PSEL, BAHL and SRVI.

Trading activity was robust, with 1.48 billion shares changing hands versus roughly 1 billion in the prior session. The total value traded reached Rs22.57 billion. Of the 500 listed companies, 190 rose, 277 fell and 33 ended unchanged.

At the close, the KSE‑100 index lost 1,493.18 points, or 0.85%, and closed at 173,886.69.

Arif Habib Limited (AHL) reported that the KSE‑100 index closed at 173,886.7, down 1,493.2 points (‑0.85%), as profit‑taking before the holiday trimmed weekly gains to 4.5%.

Only 19 stocks advanced while 81 declined. PSEL (+10%), BAHL (+0.84%) and SRVI (+1.63%) provided the main upside, whereas UBL (‑1.63%), LUCK (‑1.7%) and ENGROH (‑1.09%) were the largest down‑movers.

Week‑to‑date and month‑to‑date gains stood at +7,477.4 points (+4.49%), while the year‑to‑date performance was essentially flat at –0.10%. Total market capitalisation was Rs18,909.2 billion ($68.3 billion), with regular‑market turnover of 1,480 million shares worth Rs22.6 billion ($81.6 million).

Pakistan’s October trade deficit widened to $3.9 billion, as exports rose modestly to $2.9 billion (+2.8% YoY) while imports increased to $6.8 billion (+11.8% YoY). Looking ahead, AHL sees key support at 170,000 and resistance at 178,000 for the coming week.

Topline’s market review echoed international cues, noting that investors preferred profit‑booking before the holiday, leading the KSE‑100 to fall 0.85% to 173,887.

The top negative contributors remained UBL, LUCK, ENGROH, FFC and PPL, collectively subtracting 606 points. In terms of value, OGDC (Rs1.47 bn), MLCF (Rs1.09 bn), DGKC (Rs708 m) and BOP (Rs662 m) dominated turnover.

Overall volumes reached 1.48 billion shares, up from the previous session’s near‑1 billion. The day’s trade value was Rs22.57 billion across 500 companies, with 190 higher, 277 lower and 33 unchanged.

Bawany Air (R) led the volume chart with 687 million shares traded, shedding Rs0.59 to close at Rs0.03. Tasdeeq Information followed with 141 million shares, gaining Rs0.29 to Rs5.03, and WorldCall Telecom with 72 million shares, up Rs0.08 to Rs1.02. Foreign investors sold shares worth Rs481 million, according to the National Clearing Company.

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