Pakistan Stock Exchange falls 450 points by midday amid profit‑taking and higher oil prices.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange fell over 450 points by midday on Friday, ending a recent rally. At 9:39 a.m., the KSE‑100 Index had dropped 771.05 points, or 0.42%, to 181,005.54. By 12 p.m., it hovered at 181,326.54, 450.05 points below its previous close of 181,776.59. The index touched an intraday high of 181,647.27 and a low of 180,620.08 during the session. Trading activity remained moderate, with 146.05 million shares changing hands and a traded value of Rs10.06 billion. Broad‑based selling appeared across index‑heavy sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, and oil marketing companies. Profit‑taking followed the recent rally, while higher international oil prices and concerns about developments in the Middle East, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, kept investor sentiment subdued. The Express Tribune reports these figures to the extent available. No other developments or company‑specific information were disclosed.