Pakistan stocks closed lower in a volatile session

Pakistan's stock market closed in the red Thursday, following a highly volatile trading session as investors remained cautious amid the ongoing earnings season.

The upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) review added to the uncertainty, with market participants closely monitoring the country's efforts to meet key financial benchmarks. This sentiment contributed to the mixed investor outlook.

Meezan Bank's results met market expectations, while Pakistan State Oil (PSO) reported earnings that fell slightly short of industry forecasts, largely due to weaker-than-anticipated gross margins.

Investors remained selective, resulting in a varied impact on different sectors of the market.

KSE-100 index shed 0.32% or 360.86 points to close at 112,564.08 points.

Indian stocks went down on Thursday. They started strong but lost ground in the middle of the day. However, the selling pressure has lessened over the past two days.

In January, inflation in India dropped more than expected. But in the U.S., higher-than-expected inflation dashed hopes for several interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2025, making investors nervous. Additionally, growing global trade tensions kept investors on edge.

BSE-100 index shed 0.01% or 2.26 points to close at 24,022.05 points.

DFM General Index gained 0.35% or 18.52 points to close at 5,322.69 points.

Commodities

Crude oil prices fell on Thursday after President Donald Trump announced that the presidents of Russia and Ukraine both showed interest in a peace deal.

If this deal happens, U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy industry could be lifted, increasing the supply of Russian oil and lowering prices.

Brent crude prices declined 1.29% to $74.21 per barrel.

Gold prices went up on Thursday because investors were paying attention to US President Donald Trump’s latest comments about tariffs, which might increase global trade tensions.

The metal, considered a safe investment, recovered after a sharp drop on Wednesday, as traders awaited important US inflation data.

International gold prices increased 0.54% reaching $2,917.61 per ounce.

Currency

US dollar remained unchanged against PKR in the inter-bank market. Pakistani currency closed at 279.26. In the open market USD was trading at PKR 281.