KMI-30 Slides Despite Early Gains, Closes Below 233,000 Level

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a volatile trading day today, where the KMI-30 index closed in the negative zone despite trading in the positive zone in the early hours. The index opened at 234,740 points and reached 236,680 points at one point, but profit-taking and selling pressure changed the market direction, and the index closed at 232,771 points.

According to business experts, investors preferred to book profits after the recent rally, due to which selling was seen in shares of large companies. In particular, MARI and FFC had the most negative impact on the index, while HUBC, MEBL and MLCF were also under pressure. Overall, the negative performance of these companies pushed the market down by about 1,483 points.

On the contrary, there was a buying trend in LUCK, EFERT and ATRL, which tried to maintain some balance. Analysts said that expectations regarding future demand in the cement and fertiliser sectors attracted investors, but overall market sentiment remained weak. Trading volume stood at 122.66 million shares, indicating that investors did not completely exit the market but remained cautiously active.

Experts said that although the KMI-30 has seen a significant increase on an annual basis, volatility has increased in recent sessions, which is linked to global economic conditions and local policy decisions. According to them, if buyers do not become active in the next few days, the market may come under further pressure; however, there are investment opportunities in companies with strong fundamentals.