KSE-100: PSX fumbles intraday lead as profit-taking takes over
- By Anjum Wahab -
- Jun 22, 2026
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) had a rough Monday on June 22, 2026. Things started off on a high note, with the market rallying early after some good news from the geopolitical front. But by the afternoon, the mood had changed. Investors decided to cash in on recent gains, and that wave of profit-taking wiped out most of the morning’s excitement.
The KSE-100 index ended up closing slightly lower, dropping 450.89 points—about 0.25%—finishing at 178,471.86.
It was a wild session. The KSE-100 swung more than 2,100 points throughout the day, peaking at 180,507.82 (up over 1,500 points) before tumbling all the way down to 178,337.14. Investors didn’t hold back either—trading volume hit 230.11 million shares, which is quite substantial. But by the end, 61 stocks ended lower, 38 managed to go up, and one just stayed put. The mood definitely turned bearish as the session wrapped up.
What got everyone’s hopes up in the morning was news that Qatar and Pakistan helped broker a framework deal between the U.S. and Iran. Both sides are aiming to hammer out a full peace agreement within two months. That news had investors buzzing and gave the PSX a nice lift early on.
But that hope didn’t last. The market’s been strong lately, and after the recent rally, investors weren’t taking any chances—they sold off in droves, especially in major sectors. That wave of profit-taking knocked the wind out of the rally and dragged the whole market down by closing time.
If you look at where the biggest losses came from, commercial banks took the hardest hit, shaving off 287.12 points from the index. Cement stocks were next, subtracting 93.10 points, followed by fertilizers (down 80.69 points), tech and communication (down 47.38), and investment banks/securities companies (down 29.25).
Still, a few sectors managed to buck the trend. Oil and gas exploration companies added 54.42 points, automobile assemblers chipped in with almost 33, and oil and gas marketing companies, power generation, and food & personal care products all managed small gains that helped cushion the overall fall—at least a little.
So, Monday’s action really showed how jumpy the market is right now, swayed by global news one minute and local profit-taking the next. Even with all that early strength, the heavyweights ended up pulling everything down. Now, all eyes are on whether those energy and auto stocks can keep propping things up in the days ahead.