Selling pressure dominated the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 shedding over 2,500 points on Thursday.

The KSE-100 observed a strong intra-day correction, with sellers dominating trading, pushing the index to an intra-day low of 178,725.24.

A partial rebound late in the day provided some support, but the index still closed in the red, signalling cautious investor sentiment.

At close, the KSE-100 Index settled at 180,512.64, a decrease of 2,537.16 points or 1.39%.

“Selling is mainly due to security risks highlighted around the Reko Diq project, which have raised concerns about timelines and funding,” Saad Hanif, Head of Research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, told Business Recorder.

 “Additionally, some sector-specific results have come in weak and below expectations, leading to a trickle-down effect,” he added.

 “Bears came out swinging today, tightening their grip on the market right from the opening bell. Sentiment turned sour after EFERT’s 4Q2025 result fell short of street expectations, posting EPS of Rs6.26 with a muted dividend payout (4Q DPS: Rs 4.0). The disappointment acted as a trigger, shifting momentum decisively in favour of the sellers,” brokerage house Topline Securities said in its post-market report.

 “Local institutions appeared to lead the selling charge, keeping bulls firmly on the defensive,” it added.

The E&P sector took the heaviest hit, with PPL and OGDC alone shaving off 383 points from the index. Meanwhile, EFERT, HUBC, SYS, and BAHL collectively dragged the index down by another 645 points, amplifying the rout.

The Saudi government has dispatched a high-level delegation to Pakistan to explore avenues of cooperation in various sectors, apparently to finalise a priority agenda ahead of the expected visit of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Currently, Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, Assistant Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is in Islamabad, while another delegation from the office of Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, Advisor at the Royal Court and Chair of the Pak–KSA Task Force, is also visiting Pakistan to conduct a final review workshop of all sectoral working groups to finalise the SP-ECF framework.

On Wednesday, the PSX closed on a cautiously positive note as selective buying in key sectors helped benchmark indices recover earlier losses. The benchmark KSE-100 Index extended gains for a second consecutive session, rising by 896.25 points, or 0.49%, to close at 183,049.81 points.