Friday, March 27 2026

Selling continues at bourse, KSE-100 sheds nearly 1,000 points in early trade
Selling pressure persisted at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding nearly 1,000 points during the opening minutes of trading on Friday. At 10am, the benchmark index was hovering at 151,912.59, down by 995.37 points or 0.65%. Selling was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and refinery. Index-heavy stocks, including ARL, HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, HBL and NBP, traded in the red. On Thursday, PSX remained under intense selling pressure as persistent volatility in international oil prices and ongoing global uncertainty triggered broad-based declines across sectors. The benchmark KSE-100 Index closed at 152,907.97 points, falling by 5,405.48 points or 3.41%.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

Asian stocks extend global rout; bonds hammered as war drags on
Asian stock markets were swept up in a global ​rout on Friday, tracking Wall Street lower as the threat of a protracted energy shock out of the war-torn Middle East ‌sent borrowing costs spiralling higher. Investors took a modicum of comfort from U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to extend his ultimatum to strike Iranian power plants by 10 days, after pushing back his initial 48-hour deadline by five days. Brent crude futures fell 1% to $107.07 a barrel having jumped nearly 6% overnight. However, movement in oil prices was small and reports ​that Trump was considering sending more troops only added to concern about the war escalating into a ground conflict, with no certainty ​that the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened to shipping soon.
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Rupee headed for new low past 94 on fears Iran war may drag on
The Indian rupee is set to weaken past 94 per dollar, pressured by risk aversion, rising U.S. Treasury yields and Brent ​crude holding past $100 a barrel on concerns the war in Iran ‌will drag on. The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated the rupee will open in the 94.20-94.25 range versus the US dollar, after settling near its lifetime low of 93.9775 on Wednesday. Indian ​financial markets were off on Thursday for a local holiday. “The sense now ​is that the Middle East conflict will persist longer than ⁠initially assumed, triggering repricing across assets. The rupee, obviously, will have to ​adjust alongside,” a currency trader at a bank said. Indian equities were also set to open ​lower on the day, halting a tentative recovery. Despite a 3.5% rally in equities over the last two sessions, foreign investors were net sellers on both days, tempering any positive spillover for the ​rupee.
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Forex reserves rise to USD21.74bn
Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves rose to USD21.74 billion as of March 19, 2026, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday. The central bank said the country’s total liquid reserves stood at USD21,736.0 million during the week under review. Of this, foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP were recorded at USD16,375.8 million, while net foreign reserves held by commercial banks amounted to USD5,360.2 million. The SBP’s own reserves increased by USD22 million during the week ended March 19, compared with the previous week’s level, reflecting a modest improvement in the external account position. Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves are closely monitored as an indicator of the country’s ability to meet external financing requirements, stabilize the currency and manage import payments. The latest data suggests a stable reserve position amid ongoing efforts to strengthen external buffers and maintain macroeconomic stability.
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OGDCL announces gas discovery at Sahito-1 Well
The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) on Thursday announced a significant gas discovery at its Sahito-1 exploratory well in the Khewari Exploration Licence, located in the Khairpur district of Sindh. Based on wireline logs interpretation results, the sands of Lower Goru Formation (Massive Sand) were tested using Drill Stem Testing (DST) and yielded a promising flow of 17.2 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas. The well recorded a wellhead flowing pressure (WHFP) of 3,390 pounds per square inch (psi) at a choke size of 32/64 inches, indicating strong reservoir potential. The OGDCL is the operator of the Sahito-1 well with a 95 percent working interest, while Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL) holds a five percent interest. The well was spudded on December 24, 2025, as an exploratory well, and drilled to a total depth of 3,870 meters TVD in the Sembar Formation using OGDCL’s in-house technical expertise.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators oilgas-exploration oilgas-marketing psx stock-exchanges
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