Selling persists at bourse, KSE-100 down over 900 points in early trade

Selling pressure continued at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding over 900 points during the opening minutes of trading on Thursday. At 10:14am, the benchmark index was hovering at 170,636.86, down by 942.44 points or 0.55%. Selling pressure was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, SNGPL, FFC, MCB and UBL, traded in the red. On Wednesday, investor sentiment remained bearish at the PSX, as uncertainty surrounding ongoing US-Iran negotiations weighed on market confidence amid heightened geopolitical tensions and lack of clarity over a potential breakthrough. The benchmark KSE-100 Index declined by 1,576.48 points, or 0.91%, to close at 171,579.31.