Published on: August 28, 2025 2:00 PM
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed heavy selling on Wednesday, as early optimism faded and investors grew cautious. The benchmark KSE-100 index fell 941.03 points, or 0.63%, closing at 147,494.03.
Markets initially opened on a positive note, with the index climbing to an intra-day high of 149,238 points. However, news of severe flooding in northern Pakistan shifted investor sentiment sharply during the session.
Flood alerts and human and economic losses triggered extensive selling across major sectors. The day’s low of 147,337 marked a steep reversal from morning gains, resulting in the fifth consecutive day of losses for the benchmark index.
Gains in Meezan Bank, Engro Holdings, and MCB Bank added 137 points, but declines in Habib Bank, Fatima Fertiliser, Service Industries, National Bank, and Mari Petroleum dragged the index down by 331 points overall.
Topline Securities noted that rollover week jitters combined with flood warnings kept investors cautious. The National Disaster Management Authority highlighted “very high to exceptionally high” flood risks in Lahore and parts of Punjab, prompting army aid in six districts.
Trading volumes increased to 856.7 million shares, up from Tuesday’s 665.4 million, with a total value of Rs29.3 billion. Among top movers, Pace led with 87.8 million shares traded, followed by Bank Makramah and TPL Properties.
Looking ahead, analysts expect volatility to continue, as ongoing flood threats and heightened rollover activity are likely to keep investor sentiment cautious, potentially impacting the PSX in the coming sessions.
