The index fluctuated between an intra-day high of 159,516.41 and a low of 157,203.55, with investors staying cautious amid persistent political and security uncertainties.
Market activity was marked by selective buying, primarily in the fertiliser sector, while overall participation remained subdued. Analysts noted that traders were reluctant to take aggressive positions until clarity emerges on political developments, including the 27th Constitutional Amendment, and on upcoming IMF-related inflows.
According to KTrade Securities, the session was mixed, with Fauji Fertiliser leading gains by rising 3.6 percent and providing the main support to the index. Broader participation, however, stayed muted.
Arif Habib Limited observed that intra-day gains were capped as heavy supply prevented the index from reclaiming the 160,000-point level. The brokerage warned that staying below 161,000 keeps the market exposed to downside risks, with a breach of 157,000 likely to trigger fresh selling.
Major gainers included Pakistan Services (+6.8%), Pakistan Petroleum (+1.61%), and Fauji Fertiliser, while Lucky Cement (-1.46%), Habib Bank (-1.29%), and Systems Limited (-1.54%) were among the biggest drags.
Trading volume dropped to 757.2 million shares from 836.4 million a day earlier, with the total value of trades recorded at Rs33.4 billion. Out of 480 traded companies, 188 advanced, 235 declined, and 57 remained unchanged. First National Equities led the volume chart with 89.4 million shares, losing Rs1.95 to close at Rs20.66.
In a significant development, reports indicated that Pakistan plans to issue dollar-denominated bonds next year for the first time in nearly five years — a move seen as a milestone for the economy that narrowly avoided default two years ago.
Analysts expect regional geopolitical factors, political clarity at home, and IMF disbursements to continue driving market sentiment in the coming weeks.
