April 20, 2026 (MLN): Stocks at the Pakistan Stock Exchange came under heavy selling pressure on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index trading sharply lower at midday as escalating geopolitical tensions and volatile oil prices unsettled investor sentiment.

At 12:55pm, the KSE-100 Index stood at 171,003.79, down 2,935.22 points or 1.69%. The index witnessed wide intraday volatility, moving between a high of 174,523.76 (+584.75 points) and a low of 170,625.96 (-3,313.05 points), reflecting strong swings in investor sentiment.

Market activity remained active, with total volume in the KSE-100 Index recorded at 345.37 million shares. However, selling pressure dominated the session, as 88 stocks declined while only 12 advanced, showing broad-based weakness across the board.

Among the top laggards, FFL (-5.82%), LOTCHEM (-5.52%), KEL (-5.24%), AIRLINK (-5.23%), and BNWM (-5.18%) led the decline. On the gainers’ side, limited support was seen in INIL (+3.87%), MUREB (+1.61%), MEHT (+1.10%), RMPL (+0.57%), and ATRL (+0.55%).

In terms of index-point contribution, the decline was driven by heavyweight stocks including ENGROH (-270.00 points), HUBC (-250.27 points), FFC (-241.12 points), LUCK (-186.72 points), and HBL (-184.39 points). Minor support came from NBP (+19.97 points), BAFL (+16.09 points), and INIL (+13.66 points).

Sector-wise, the KSE-100 Index was dragged down by Commercial Banks (-668.12 points), Cement (-420.74 points), Fertilizer (-373.66 points), Power Generation & Distribution (-323.88 points), and Investment Banks/Companies/Securities Companies (-270.50 points), reflecting broad weakness across major sectors.

Investor sentiment remained fragile amid renewed geopolitical uncertainty.

Iran stated it has no plans for a new round of talks following reports that the United States seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The development added fresh strain to already tense diplomatic relations.

Earlier, uncertainty had briefly eased after indications that diplomatic engagement could resume, including comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that a team could be sent to Islamabad for possible talks with Iran. However, those hopes were overshadowed by the latest escalation.

also remained highly volatile, with prices staging a sharp rebound of more than 6% after reports suggested that the Strait of Hormuz had been shut once again. Both the United States and Iran accused each other of breaching a fragile ceasefire, reigniting fears of supply disruptions through a key global energy route.

The renewed spike in oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty weighed heavily on investor confidence at the local bourse, prompting broad-based selling at midday.

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