KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw a modest decline yesterday. Stocks opened on a positive note, hitting an intra-day high of 171,587.32 in the opening hours of the trading. However, selling pressure was seen in the final hours, dragging the index to an intra-day low of 170,641.13.

At close, the benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at 170,830.22, a decrease of 243.51 points or 0.14%.

The index traded within a wide range of 946.19 points, hitting an intraday high of 171,587.32 (+513.59) and a low of 170,641.13 (-432.60). Total volume for the KSE-100 Index stood at 319.89 million shares.

Of the 100 index constituents, 42 closed higher, 58 ended in the red, while none remained unchanged. Top losers included RMPL (-9.67%), KOHC (-7.10%), DHPL (-6.15%), GADT (-4.34%), and KEL (-3.74%), while top gainers were PTC (+10.01%), JVDC (+5.27%), PIBTL (+3.46%), SSGC (+2.89%), and BOP (+2.69%).

In terms of index-point contributions, major drags came from LUCK (-281.12 pts), ENGROH (-81.37 pts), KOHC (-67.95 pts), SYS (-55.55 pts), and RMPL (-36.76 pts). Companies adding the most points included PTC (+99.62 pts), PPL (+87.76 pts), FFC (+82.30 pts), OGDC (+57.57 pts), and BOP (+48.01 pts).

Sector-wise performance reflected the divergence in market sentiment. Cement (-366.68 pts), Investment Banks/Investment Companies/Securities Companies (-104.60 pts), Commercial Banks (-41.50 pts), Power Generation & Distribution (-39.19 pts), and Food & Personal Care Products (-35.50 pts) weighed on the index. In contrast, Fertilizer (+141.29 pts), Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+119.43 pts), Oil & Gas Marketing Companies (+51.54 pts), Technology & Communication (+38.86 pts), and Property (+25.80 pts) provided support.

The broader All-Share Index also ended in negative territory at 102,922.37 points, down 197.80 points or 0.19%. Market activity picked up, with total traded volume rising to 811.56 million shares from 650.14 million in the previous session. Traded value increased to Rs29.79 billion, up Rs1.54 billion.

A total of 367,861 trades were executed across 481 companies, of which 172 advanced, 263 declined, and 46 remained unchanged.

Despite the mixed performance, market analysts noted that selective buying in key sectors, especially Fertilizers, Oil & Gas, and Technology, reflects sustained investor interest and optimism in fundamentally strong stocks, even as broader indices faced pressure.