KSE-100 jumps 4,654 points as oil prices slide and Iran fears ease
The KSE-100 gained as much as 4,653.68 points on Tuesday, rising 2.68% to 178,540.36 by 12:04pm, as investors returned from the Iqbal Day holiday in a buying mood. The benchmark had already added 2,852.32 points, or 1.64%, within the first half hour of trading, touching an intraday high of 178,606.21 against a low of 176,273.72.
Volume reached 227.49 million shares with Rs21.35 billion traded, according to Token Times, a sign the move carried real participation rather than a thin opening pop.
The trigger came from outside Pakistan. Brent crude fell 70 cents, or 0.75%, to $91.88 a barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate dropped 78 cents, or 0.90%, to $86.07, after US President Donald Trump played down the need for military action against Iran at this stage. Both benchmarks had already slipped around 1% earlier in the session.
For a market that imports most of its energy, cheaper crude is a direct relief: it eases pressure on the import bill, the rupee and inflation, and reduces the fear of a prolonged supply disruption in the Middle East. The softer rhetoric on Iran did the rest, pulling risk appetite back into equities after the weekend break.
The session shows how tightly the KSE-100 now tracks the Middle East. With the index near 178,606, the next test is whether oil holds its decline and whether the calm over Iran lasts longer than a single trading day.
