PSX: Selling returns, KSE-100 sheds over 300 points

Selling returned at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding over 300 points during the opening minutes of trading on Thursday. At 9: 50am, the benchmark index was hovering at 171, 929. 43, down 303. 08 points or 0. 18%. Selling was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies and OMCs. Index heavy stocks, including LUCK, HBL, MCB, MEBL, UBL, MARI, OGDC, PPL, PSO and SSGC, traded in the red. In a key development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly 2026, on the same day as an IMF mission started discussions with Pakistani authorities for the next review under the $7-billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). According to a statement from the PM’s office, PM Shehbaz thanked the IMF for its continued support for Pakistan’s economy and reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to successfully implementing the IMF-supported reform programme. Meanwhile, Georgieva posted on X that she met with the prime minister to discuss Pakistan’s reforms: “Strong implementation has helped preserve stability, restore confidence and regain market access. ” On Wednesday, the PSX rallied strongly as constructive US-Iran discussions, the arrival of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff mission for key programme reviews, and aggressive buying in refinery stocks amid expectations of progress on long-awaited upgrade agreements boosted investor sentiment. The benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 830. 43 points, or 0. 48%, to close at 172, 232. 51. Globally, debt markets were on edge on Thursday, as Japanese bonds followed Treasuries lower, while ​Asian equities were mixed as investors weighed simmering Middle East tensions and prospects for talks between the United States and ‌China. As Tokyo markets reopened after a three-day holiday, the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield jumped to a 30-year high after a steep sell-off in the US market overnight. Oil prices eased from recent highs and the greenback held gains after Tehran’s leader vowed to never surrender following a warning by US President Donald Trump that he could “annihilate” Iran. Market ​participants looked ahead to a series of central bank speeches and economic releases, including U. S. jobless claims, for signals on future interest ​rate hikes. A summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was also in focus, with hopes for progress on ⁠trade relations. The MSCI Asia ex-Japan index fell 0. 64%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1. 73%. Australian shares hit a more than three-month low, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index falling 1. 2%. This is an intraday update

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