KARACHI (Web Desk) – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) suffered heavy losses on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index tumbling nearly 6,000 points, as investors reacted ahead of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to review Pakistan’s ongoing loan programme and upcoming budget proposals.
During intraday trading, the KSE-100 index fell 5,950.83 points, closing at 172,902.26 points, a decline of 3.33 percent from Wednesday’s close of 178,853.09 points.
Officials confirmed that the IMF mission, led by Iva Petrova, is scheduled to visit Pakistan on February 26 to assess progress on the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the $1.1 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). Over the nearly two-week visit, discussions will focus on reviewing budget proposals based on this year’s performance and outlining key aspects of the 2026-27 fiscal year budget, including provincial financial matters.
The sharp drop follows a strong recovery on Wednesday, when the KSE-100 index gained 5,702.68 points, or 3.29 percent, closing at 178,853.10 points. This volatility highlights investor caution amid expectations for IMF-led budget guidance and fiscal adjustments.
During Thursday’s session, the ready market recorded a trading volume of 697.682 million shares with a traded value of PKR 49.992 billion, compared to 716.035 million shares valued at PKR 40.471 billion in the previous session. Market capitalization decreased to PKR 20.227 trillion from PKR 20.227 trillion, reflecting market sensitivity to external fiscal oversight.
Of the 484 active companies traded, 334 advanced, 103 declined, and 47 remained unchanged, illustrating mixed investor sentiment ahead of the IMF review.
