Overview
- The Pakistan Stock Exchange has seen sharp, volatile selling over recent sessions with the benchmark KSE‑100 falling steeply and late‑session selling pushing the index lower each day.
- Major blue‑chip companies including Fauji Fertilizer, Meezan Bank, Engro, UBL and OGDC were the largest drags and together erased nearly 928 index points during the sell‑off.
- Trading remained active as turnover and volumes stayed high while total market capitalisation fell to about Rs19.91 trillion, showing investors were repositioning rather than leaving the market entirely.
- International market weakness and investor moves into safer assets put extra pressure as Asia‑Pacific shares ex‑Japan and Japan’s Nikkei slid, and higher global crude prices increased cost concerns for Pakistan.
- The State Bank of Pakistan reported a 38% year‑on‑year narrowing of the current account deficit to $328 million for July, a positive macro sign that has so far not calmed market caution and political risk will likely determine near‑term direction.