Bearish trend grips Pakistan Stock Market after strong early rally

KARACHI (Dunya News) – A wave of selling pressure washed over the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Thursday, turning an early-day rally into a full-blown downturn, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index closed deep in negative territory.

Trading opened on a positive note, with the market climbing more than 800 points, lifting the index to 170,301 points. Investors initially showed confidence, pushing prices higher and giving the impression that the market was “off to a flying start.”

However, as the session progressed, sentiment shifted sharply. Selling picked up pace and the earlier gains “vanished into thin air.” By the closing bell, the index had fallen 877 points, settling at 168,574 points.

On the previous trading day, the KSE-100 Index had slipped by just 4 points, closing at 169,451 points, indicating that Thursday’s downturn was a noticeable pullback.

Market activity remained vibrant despite the negative close. Shares worth Rs 41.38 billion changed hands, while overall trading volume reached 656.5 million shares—reflecting that investors stayed active even as the market moved downward.

Analysts say the sudden reversal suggests that investors opted to “cash in their chips” after the early surge, while uncertainty in economic indicators may also have kept the market under pressure.