Islamabad: The KSE 100 index experienced a downturn, closing at 157,554.66, marking a 0.31% decrease, amidst fluctuating market conditions. This drop of 482.71 points reflects the overall instability observed in the trading session. In contrast, the KSE 30 index also witnessed a decline, settling at 48,034.04 with a 0.45% reduction.

Despite the general market slump, some companies showed significant gains. HGFA led the gainers with a substantial 9.98% surge, reaching Rs. 19.72. GLAXO and MUGHAL also demonstrated robust performance, posting increases of 8.01% and 7.26% respectively.

Several prominent companies experienced losses, contributing to the overall downward trend. FCCL declined by 3.40%, followed by HMB with a 3.00% drop. LCI experienced a notable decrease of 2.84%.

Trading volume remained strong, reaching 1,665.97 million shares, with a total value of Rs. 60.90 billion (US$ 216.39 million). KEL topped the volume chart with 236.01 million shares traded. CNERGY and BOP also recorded substantial trading activity.

The PSX market capitalization stood at Rs. 18,562.27 billion (US$ 65.95 billion), reflecting a slight decrease of 0.04%.

Regional markets displayed mixed performances. While China's SSEA and Korea's KOSPI showed gains of 0.2% and 0.7% respectively, India's BSESN and the Philippines' PSI registered declines.