Business Recorder
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw a volatile session, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining over 300 points in the opening hours of trading on Tuesday. At 10:24am, the benchmark index was hovering at 164,270.53, up by 321.59 points or 0.20%. Buying was observed in key sectors, including commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including ARL, OGDC, POL, PPL, SSGC, HBL, MCB and MEBL, traded in the green. “Investors are weighing a massive local trade gap against a global energy standoff that could redefine the fiscal year,” said Behtari Capital on Tuesday. “The macro data is screaming caution, but the index is being propped up by the heavyweights, i.e. banks and fertilisers. If the Strait of Hormuz standoff doesn’t de-escalate soon, the import bill could break the camel’s back.” Pakistan’s trade deficit crossed $4 billion in April 2026 amid an increase in imports, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the US and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades, not long after US President Donald Trump launched a new effort to get stranded tankers and other ships through the vital energy-trade chokepoint. On Monday , PSX ended on a positive note, though early strong momentum faded amid renewed geopolitical uncertainty and volatility in global oil markets, tempering investor sentiment toward the close. The benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 954.77 points or 0.59% to settle at 163,948.94 points. Internationally, stocks in Asia slid on Tuesday , while oil prices eased but remained well above $100 a barrel, as the US and Iran continue to work towards a truce even as they trade blows over the Strait of Hormuz. Traders also had their eyes on the yen after the Japanese currency briefly jumped in the previous session, stoking speculation of another round of intervention from Tokyo. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.3%. Shares in Australia fell 0.4% in thinned Asia trade, while markets in Japan and South Korea were closed for a holiday. Nasdaq futures and S&P 500 futures edged down about 0.1% each, while EUROSTOXX 50 futures lost 0.2% and FTSE futures fell 0.75%. This is an intraday update
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