PSX's record-breaking streak ends amid profit-taking

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a turbulent day, hitting a record high before falling by more than 500 points as investors engaged in profit-taking on Wednesday.

The benchmark KSE-100 index dropped 577.53 points or 0.64% to close at 90,286.56 points, down from the previous close of 90,864.09 points, breaking its consistent upward trend.

Saad Ali, Intermarket Securities Director of Research, told Thenews.com.pk that the market's decline was mostly due to profit-taking as the PSX had "risen so sharply" in recent days.

He also said that another reason for the drop was correction. It is a "healthy correction - no major negative reason for today's fall as the decline is broad-based", Ali added.

The day kicked off with the investors remaining buoyant on strong hopes for a rate cut as the benchmark index hit a record-breaking high of 91,872.63 points.

The State Bank of Pakistan's (SBCP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will meet on November 4 and experts are expecting a 200-bps cut to a 15.5 % policy rate.

Pakistan-Kuwait Head of Research Samiullah Tariq had told Geo.tv that bullish sentiment was driving the market, supported by positive factors such as falling yields due to expectations of rate cuts, limited investment options due to taxation, and strong corporate earnings.

In its last session, the SBP's MPC enacted its largest rate cut since April 2020, lowering the key policy rate by 200bps to 17.5%, driven by easing inflation and declining global oil prices.

The central bank had previously slashed rates by 350bps in July and September 2024, totaling a 450bps reduction since June 2024.

If another cut is made, it will mark the fourth consecutive rate reduction since the SBP began reversing rates in June 2024, reflecting an improved macroeconomic landscape and a shift in the central bank’s monetary stance.

Market speculation suggests a potential policy rate cut of up to 400bps by December, as analysts point to ample room for easing, which has also reignited foreign investors’ interest in Pakistan’s capital market.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), inflation dropped to 6.9% year-on-year in September 2024, the lowest since January 2021, down from 9.6% in August, due to the high base effect, stabilising commodity and energy markets, and a steady currency.