PSX ends flat amid geopolitical jitters

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a turbulent start to the week, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index closing nearly flat amid rising tensions with India and SBP policy uncertainty. The index dipped steeply in early trading, falling by 1,036 points. However, it made a strong recovery in the second half, mainly supported by the cement sector, while other stocks closed lower. The index closed the day down by only 11.70 points, or 0.01%, at 114,102.24. Analysts noted that while there may be a positive reaction to the 100 bps rate cut by the central bank, investors remained cautious given the prevailing geopolitical situation. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corp remarked that stocks closed flat as investors remained cautious following the government's security measures to ban Indian trade ties and Indian flag carriers. SBP policy uncertainty and a slump in global crude oil prices contributed to the uncertainty, he noted.