PSX opens lower amid Middle East tensions

KARACHI: (Web Desk) – The Pakistan Stock Exchange opened the week in the red on Monday as investor sentiment remained cautious amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

At 12:41 pm, the benchmark KSE-Index was at 149,410.47 points, down 988.24 points, or 0.66%. Selling was notable in major sectors such as automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, and oil and gas exploration and refinery companies. Heavily weighted stocks, including OGDC, POL, MCB, NBP, and UBL, also traded lower.

PSX rockets into April with 4,500-Point jump amid hopes of peace

Last week, Pakistan’s stock market remained under pressure due to rising geopolitical risks and persistently high global oil prices. The KSE-100 Index fell 1,309 points or 0.9% week-on-week to close at 150,398.70 points, reflecting continued volatility.

Internationally, oil prices surged, bonds declined, and Asian markets opened mixed as US President Donald Trump issued stern warnings to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump threatened destruction of civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if Iran did not comply by Tuesday, raising concerns about retaliatory strikes in Gulf states.

Thin liquidity amid regional holidays added to market caution. S&P 500 e-mini futures fell 0.2%, while MSCI’s broad Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan rose 0.5%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.2%, and South Korea’s Kospi increased 2%.

Brent crude futures opened higher at $110.58 per barrel after OPEC+ agreed to raise output quotas by 206,000 barrels per day for May. Analysts cautioned that production increases may be limited in practice due to ongoing damage to oil infrastructure in major Gulf-producing nations.