PSX selling persists as KSE‑100 slides nearly 400 points amid Middle‑East tensions
Investor sentiment stayed negative on Wednesday, with the KSE‑100 index down about 0.22% and key sectors such as banks, oil & gas, cement, automobile and fertilizer under sell pressure.
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Desk Analysis
How This Affects the Exchange
Sector Effect
Negative · Do not buy
Broad sell‑off in banks, oil & gas, cement, automobile and fertilizer sectors – avoid buying; watch for further downside.
Sectors & Direction
Desk read
Desk call: Do not buy · Negatively affected
- BanksNegatively affected
- Oil & GasNegatively affected
- CementNegatively affected
- AutomobileNegatively affected
- FertilizerNegatively affected
Companies
Mentions in This Briefing
Sectors: Banks, Oil & Gas, Cement, Automobile, Fertilizer — Negative · Do not buy. PSX tickers: MARI, PSO, HBL, MCB, NBP, UBL. Broad sell‑off in banks, oil & gas, cement, automobile and fertilizer sectors – avoid buying; watch for further downside.
Full Story
Open on Business Recorder## Market overview
The Pakistan Stock Exchange opened on a down‑trend on Wednesday, driven by renewed geopolitical friction in the Middle East. By 10:35 am the benchmark KSE‑100 index was at 172,268.78, off 373.38 points (‑0.22%).
## Sectoral performance
Selling was evident across several heavyweight sectors: - Automobile assemblers saw price declines. - Cement producers were pressured. - Commercial banks experienced broad‑based sell‑offs. - Fertiliser companies faced downward moves. - Oil marketing companies (OMCs) also traded lower.
## Index‑heavy stocks in the red
Shares of major constituents fell, including: - Mari Petroleum (MARI) - Pakistan State Oil (PSO) - Habib Bank Limited (HBL) - MCB Bank (MCB) - National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) - United Bank Limited (UBL)
## Geopolitical backdrop
The market weakness follows a sharp rally in Brent crude toward the $100 per barrel mark, spurred by intensified attacks in the Middle East. Iranian‑backed Houthi strikes on Saudi cities, U.S. actions against Iranian oil tankers, and Iran’s retaliation against a U.S. base in Jordan have heightened regional risk, lifting global oil prices for a fourth consecutive session. Brent settled at $99.49 a barrel, while U.S. WTI was at $94.63.
## Global market context
Asian equities were broadly subdued: Sydney fell 0.3%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.6%, while mainland Chinese blue‑chips edged up 0.2%. Gains in chip and AI stocks helped Japan’s Nikkei (+0.6%), South Korea’s KOSPI (+1.6%) and Taiwan’s TAIEX (+0.6%). In the United States, S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% after the cash index dropped 0.6% on Tuesday.
## Outlook
The combination of heightened geopolitical risk, rising oil prices and profit‑taking in index‑heavy stocks suggests continued caution for investors on the PSX.