KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) experienced another turbulent session on Tuesday, with the KSE-100 Index seeing significant fluctuations before closing down by 202 points. The market started on a positive note, reaching an intra-day high of 116,843.41.

However, selling pressure soon emerged, pushing the index down to a low of 113,677.50. Late-session buying activity helped reduce the losses, and the benchmark index ultimately closed at 116,052.68, marking a decrease of 202.44 points or 0.17%. Topline Securities, in its post-market report, highlighted that despite the early drop, the market managed to recover due to a statement from the prime minister suggesting the government may lower electricity rates, which boosted investor confidence. The decline was largely attributed to losses in key stocks like EFERT, FFC, HBL, ATRL, and PSO, which collectively contributed to a 433-point drop. On the other hand, ENGROH, OGDC, and TRG helped mitigate these losses, adding 436 points.

Experts noted that the initial downturn was linked to the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan and a significant rise in PSO's receivables, which negatively impacted sentiment, particularly in the oil and gas sector. The PSX had also faced volatility on Monday, with the KSE-100 Index falling by 1,332 points to close at 116,255.13. International markets saw positive movement on Tuesday, with Asian shares rising, following a strong lead from Wall Street.  There was speculation that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump might soften his stance on tariffs, boosting market sentiment. Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee depreciated slightly against the U.S. dollar, ending the day at 278.67. Trading volume on the all-share index dropped to 792.77 million shares, down from 819.80 million on Monday, but the value of shares traded rose to Rs39.69 billion. WorldCall Telecom led the volume with 80.58 million shares, followed by Cnergyico PK and K-Electric Ltd.