US President Donald Trump’s stubborn war mania quelled investor enthusiasm at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday, turning the entire business environment into a state of confusion.   

In the morning, trading started with a cautious tone as stocks displayed absolutely flat performance on widely disturbing news about Trump’s assertion that the US would keep up attacks on Iran without committing to a specific timeline to end the war. Adding to the anxiety was a notable 7% jump in International oil prices following his comment.

The benchmark KSE-100 index had tumbled by 5,452.85 points to reach 150,058.71. The market sentiment appears largely in line with analysts’ expectations.

The market was currently trading in negative territory, reflecting notable selling pressure during today’s session. The index stood at 151,500.64, down 4,010.92 points, or 2.58%, till filing of the report.

Intra-day movement showed the market reached a high of 152,052.19 and a low of 150,022.43, indicating a relatively wide trading range and heightened volatility. The benchmark index remained near the day’s low, suggesting continued bearish sentiment as trading progressed.

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Trading activity had been active, with total volume at 110,013,697, pointing to strong participation from market participants. The total market value traded stood at Rs8.74 billion, reinforcing the presence of significant turnover during the session.

With trading still underway, attention remained on whether the index could stabilise above the intra-day low or extend losses further.