PSX slips as investors take profits amid geopolitical concerns

• The KSE-100 closed at 156,732.87 points, down 1,732.18 points.
• The session low was recorded at 156,327.6 points, down 2,137.45 points.
• The index hit an intraday high of 159,507.41, up 1,042.36.

The stock market remained under pressure on Thursday as investors opted to take profits amid rising geopolitical tensions and mixed economic data.

The benchmark Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) KSE-100 closed at 156,732.87, down 1,732.18 points or -1.09% from its previous close of 158,465.05.

During the session, the index climbed to an intraday high of 159,507.41 points, gaining 1,042.36 points, or 0.66%, before falling to a low of 156,327.6 points, reflecting a decline of 2,137.45 points, or 1.35%.

Samiullah Tariq, Head of Research at Pak-Kuwait Investment Company, cited profit-taking and geopolitical tensions as key factors behind the decline.

The government raised Rs1.057 trillion from the Treasury bill (T-bill) auction on Wednesday, surpassing the target of Rs950 billion, as yields moved in mixed directions after the State Bank decided to keep interest rates unchanged.

Total holdings stood at Rs2.132 trillion, with the 12-month yield up 10 basis points (bps) to 11.3498%, while shorter maturities were largely flat.

Separately, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) bought $7.15 billion from the interbank market in the last 12 months (August 2024–July 2025) to shore up foreign exchange reserves, according to data reported by Topline Securities.

On Wednesday, the KSE-100 index fell 1,635.97 points, or 1.02 percent, to 158,465.05 points from 160,101.02 points the previous day. The index traded between a high of 160,690.12 and a low of 158,306.84.