PSX extends losses amid global market rout

Selling persisted at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in line with losses across international markets, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding over 400 points during the opening minutes of trading on Wednesday. At 9:45am, the benchmark index was hovering at 160,849.20, an increase of 432.56 points or 0.27%. Selling was observed in key sectors including commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, WAFI, HBL, MCB, MEBL and NBP, traded in the red. On Tuesday, PSX came under pressure as investors opted for profit-taking following two sessions of gains. The market’s decline was primarily driven by selling in blue-chip stocks amid renewed caution over mixed corporate earnings and post-rally consolidation.