Pakistan’s equity market suffered a major rout on Monday as panic selling gripped investors, sending the benchmark Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) sharply lower. The KSE-100 Index plunged 5,149 points (-2.87%) to close at 174,453, after briefly crashing over 6,000 points intraday.
The steep decline came amid broad-based selling pressure across key sectors, triggering one of the largest single-day point drops in recent months and wiping out billions in market capitalization.
Trading activity remained heavy, with 773.29 million shares exchanged worth Rs 46.24 billion. Out of 565 companies traded, only 65 posted gains while 378 declined and 122 remained unchanged reflecting overwhelming bearish sentiment.
Among the most actively traded stocks, several heavy-volume scrips ended lower.
K-Electric (KEL) led volumes with 63.8 million shares, followed by WorldCall Telecom (WTL) and Bank of Punjab (BOP), all closing in the red. Media stock HUM Network (HUMNL) and Trust Securities (TSBL) were among the few gainers on the day.
| Scrip | Price (Rs) | High (Rs) | Low (Rs) | Change (Rs) | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEL | 8.13 | 8.65 | 8.06 | -0.42 | 63,826,098 |
| WTL | 1.53 | 1.64 | 1.52 | -0.10 | 62,243,488 |
| BOP | 33.25 | 36.19 | 32.72 | -3.11 | 56,166,941 |
| HUMNL | 12.88 | 13.42 | 12.60 | +0.68 | 47,353,559 |
| TSBL | 2.29 | 2.79 | 1.92 | +0.38 | 27,570,150 |
| FNEL | 1.41 | 1.55 | 1.40 | -0.10 | 26,673,405 |
| BECO | 6.00 | 6.38 | 5.87 | -0.09 | 25,389,124 |
Market participants attributed the sharp fall to profit-taking and risk-off sentiment, as investors rushed to lock in gains after the market’s recent rally. Analysts noted that such corrections often occur after extended bullish runs, though the magnitude of the drop indicates heightened uncertainty.
Despite the crash, brokers say fundamentals of major listed companies remain intact, and the sell-off may present selective buying opportunities if stability returns.