PSX falls as investors opt for profit-taking

A choppy session marked trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday, where the benchmark KSE-100 index struggled to hold on to early momentum. The market opened on a positive note and managed to push the index towards the day's high of 169,289. However, the optimism faded steadily as the session progressed and a round of profit-taking in the final hours dragged the index into negative territory. The index hit the intra-day low of 167,446 just before the end of trading. At close, the KSE-100 stood at 167,642.28, registering a decline of 419.92 points, or 0.25%. Among major news, Pakistan recorded a trade deficit of $2.9 billion in November, which weighed on investor confidence and encouraged cautious moves. The widening external gap continues to be a key concern for market participants, who are now more inclined to lock in gains rather than extend exposure.