Pakistan Market Wrap: Caution Reigns as Volatility Tightens Its Grip on the PSX – By HMFS Research
Oct 8 2025
HMFS Research
- Volatility from yesterday’s session carried into today with renewed intensity, as the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured another turbulent session. The benchmark KSE-100 Index oscillated sharply in both directions before succumbing to selling pressure, closing 907 points lower at 165,266.74. Intraday, the index slipped as much as 1,063.9 points amid persistent profit-taking. Weakness was most pronounced in the banking, fertilizer, and cement sectors, reflecting broader investor unease.
- Sentiment turned cautious after the World Bank revised Pakistan’s GDP growth forecast downward by 50bps to 2.6% for FY26 (from 3.1% in June 2025), dampening hopes of a near-term recovery. Albeit, market activity remained robust, with volumes on the KSE-100 and All-Share indices standing at 555mn and 1.27bn shares, respectively. PTC (114mn), BOP (88mn), and KEL (87mn) emerged as the most actively traded scrips during the session. Today’s choppy performance underscores investors’ growing sensitivity to macro headwinds and global cues, particularly as growth expectations soften. Going forward, volatility is likely to persist amid shifting sentiment around the IMF review and global oil dynamics. We advise investors to maintain a selective approach, focusing on fundamentally strong, dividend-yielding blue chips, while avoiding leveraged positions until market direction becomes clearer.