Friday, February 13 2026

Selling persists at bourse, KSE-100 down over 2,100 points
Massive selling pressure was observed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding over 2,100 points during the opening minutes of trading. At 10:05am, the benchmark index was hovering at 178,391.58, down 2,121.06 points or 1.18%. Selling was observed in key sectors, including cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including OGDC, MARI, POL, PPL, HUBCO, ARL, MCB, MEBL and UBL, traded in the red. The government is reportedly considering the imposition of a cess on fertiliser companies to recoup windfall profits, which will be ring-fenced for the benefit of farmers, well-informed sources told Business Recorder. On Thursday, the PSX remained under sustained selling pressure as heightened uncertainty, sector-wide weakness and negative sentiment surrounding large-scale mining investments triggered a sharp retreat across benchmark indices. The benchmark KSE-100 Index shed 2,537.16 points, or 1.39%, to settle at 180,512.65 points.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

PSX tumbles 2,537 points as selling pressure mounts
Recovery hopes were dashed as heavy selling gripped the environment at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in a turbulent session on Thursday, with bears firmly in control throughout the day. Heavy selling from the opening bell dragged the benchmark KSE-100 index sharply lower, reflecting cautious investor sentiment. The index plunged during intra-day trade, hitting a session low of 178,725.25 points amid broad-based selling across key sectors. Although a late-session recovery trimmed some losses, it failed to reverse the negative momentum. By the close, the KSE-100 index tumbled down 2,537.16 points, or 1.39 % and closed at 180,512.65 points. Market participation remained active, but declining stocks outpaced advancing ones, highlighting continued risk-averse behaviour among investors. Overall, the session underscored persistent selling pressure, with traders opting to reduce exposure despite a modest late rebound.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

Banks cut export refinance rate to 4.5%
The local banking sector has announced a voluntary 3% reduction in the rate of return for the export sector, bringing the markup rate under the Export Refinance Facility down to 4.5%. The move is expected to lower business costs for exporters and help boost foreign exchange earnings. Commercial banks have implemented the relief for exporters on all new loans as well as rollover loans, with the facility remaining effective until June 2026. According to the Pakistan Banks' Association (PBA), private sector credit recorded a significant increase of Rs1.1 trillion in 2025, while credit disbursement to the agriculture sector reached a record Rs2.58 trillion. The PBA said the number of agricultural borrowers rose from 2.7 million to 3.0 million. PBA Chairman Zafar Masud said that during the first half of fiscal year 2026, private sector credit expanded by a further Rs654 billion, while banks also financed government borrowing amounting to a substantial Rs1.95 trillion.
Related news categories: business comm-banks economic-indicators misc

SBP reserves inch up to $16.18b
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) posted a modest increase during the week ended February 6, 2026, according to data released on Thursday. The SBP's FX reserves rose by $21 million on a weekly basis to $16.18 billion. Meanwhile, the country's total liquid foreign reserves stood at $21.37 billion. Of this, the net foreign reserves held by commercial banks amounted to $5.20 billion. Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee marginally strengthened by Rs0.01 against the US dollar, closing at 279.65 in the inter-bank market compared with 279.66 a day ago. Gold prices in Pakistan remained unchanged on Thursday, mirroring a subdued trend in the international bullion market as stronger-than-expected US labour data tempered expectations of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts, offsetting safe-haven demand arising from geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc

Risk-averse capital drives hybrid deals
Pakistan's startup ecosystem, once a headline-grabbing post-Covid-19 success story that attracted aggressive venture capital chasing growth and buzzworthy "disruption," is now entering a more cautious and structurally different phase. With investors increasingly prioritising risk-adjusted returns and shifting capital towards safer assets such as gold, the funding landscape is undergoing a transformation marked by a decisive move away from speculative equity rounds towards hybrid financing structures that now dominate capital flows. The shift was highlighted during Invest2Innovate (i2i)'s "Ecosystem Signals 2026" event, where industry leaders discussed the findings of Pakistan's Capital Landscape Brief 2024-2025 and outlined emerging investment trends shaping the ecosystem.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc