Friday, February 27 2026

KSE-100 plunges over 3,000 points as Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions rattle PSX
Selling pressure returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday as investor sentiment remained dented amid the escalating situation between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan. The benchmark KSE-100 Index shed over 3,000 points during the opening minutes of trading. At 9:20am, the benchmark index was hovering at 165,813.86, down by 3,079.22 points or 1.82%. Selling pressure was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. Index-heavy stocks, including ARL, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, SSGC, SNGPL, MCB, MEBL and NBP, traded in the red.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

PSX-KMI All Share Index: SECP revises Shariah screening criteria & methodology
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved revisions to the Shariah screening criteria and methodology for the PSX-KMI All Share Index. The revisions align with international benchmarks and aim to strengthen investor confidence in Shariah-compliant capital market instruments. The decision follows a high-level review meeting of the Committee on the Post-2027 Financial Sector Strategy, chaired by the Finance Secretary. The meeting emphasized accelerating the implementation of initiatives in line with the Federal Shariat Court’s ruling. Progress on the ongoing transformation and next steps toward transitioning Pakistan’s financial system to a Riba-free framework were reviewed. The SECP was directed to prepare a comprehensive plan for transforming SECP-regulated sectors into Shariah-compliant models and to develop a post-2027 strategy to sustain the transition.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

IMF review mission: No further energy tariff hikes or new tax burdens urged
Mian Zahid Hussain, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum & All Karachi Industrial Alliance, Chairman National Business Group Pakistan and Chairman Policy Advisory Board FPCCI, has said that while the domestic economy is showing signs of a genuine turnaround, the ongoing IMF review mission must not result in further energy tariff hikes or tax burdens that could push the struggling export sector into a total collapse. He acknowledged the positive macroeconomic indicators, noting that Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM) has posted a solid 5 percent growth in the first half of FY26. He highlighted the remarkable 67.2 percent surge in automobile production and an 11.6 percent rebound in cement, signaling strong domestic demand.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc

OGDCL signs PCAs for five new exploration blocks
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan’s largest exploration and production company on Thursday signed Petroleum Concession Agreements (PCAs) for five new exploration blocks awarded in the bidding round held on April 30, 2025. The signing ceremony for the blocks was held at the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) in Islamabad. The provisional awards had been announced earlier, following the competitive bidding round. Under the awards, OGDCL will serve as operator in three blocks and participate as a non-operating JV partner in two blocks. OGDCL will operate the Kalat North Block with a 75 percent working interest, in partnership with Prime (25 percent). The block covers parts of Nushki, Mastung, Kharan and Kalat districts of Balochistan.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators oilgas-exploration oilgas-marketing psx stock-exchanges
Related symbols: ogdc (news stock)

Asian shares fall, yen and Treasuries rise as AI, Iran concerns weigh
Dour sentiment persisted in the Asian trading day on Friday as concerns about technology company valuations weighed on shares and Middle East tensions kept energy markets on edge. Japanese shares followed Wall Street lower after what appeared to be glowing results from AI sector bellwether Nvidia failed to impress investors. The yen and US Treasuries rose, while gold held steady after a two-day advance. An Omani mediator of US and Iran nuclear talks gave an optimistic readout over the latest round of negotiations, but uncertainty still hung over energy markets with no sign of a breakthrough that would avert potential US strikes. “AI and geopolitics remained front and centre for financial markets, prompting a retreat from risk assets and a shift towards safe havens,” Mantas Vanagas, senior economist at Westpac Group, wrote in a note. “With no major breakthroughs announced in the US–Iran talks, crude markets remained in wait-and-see mode, continuing to price in a significant risk of military escalation between the two countries,” he said.
Related news categories: business misc stock-exchanges