Pakistan's benchmark KSE-100 Index fell sharply in Friday morning trading, giving back part of its four-day rally as investors booked profits ahead of the long weekend.

At 9:40am local time the index stood at 173,146.07 points, down 2,233.79 points or 1.27% on the day, Bloom Pakistan reported. The Pakistan Stock Exchange's official data portal later showed the index at 173,391.99 as of 10:24am, down 1,987.87 points or 1.13%, after touching a low of 172,809.89. The index had closed at 175,379.86 on Thursday.

Thursday's session had extended the rally to a fourth straight day, with the index gaining 3,366.38 points, or 1.96%, to close above 175,000. Buying had spread across banks, cement and other heavyweight sectors, helped by falling international oil prices and improved global risk appetite after the US midterm elections.

Why investors sold

Ismail Iqbal Securities said investors were expected to take profits after the recent rally and might prefer to book gains ahead of the long weekend, Bloom Pakistan reported. The brokerage also pointed to persistent geopolitical uncertainties and a lack of progress in ongoing peace negotiations, which it said could keep market activity cautious.

The selling came as Asian markets plunged on Friday. South Korea's KOSPI dropped more than 8% and triggered a circuit breaker before resuming about 7% lower, Japan's Nikkei fell 6% and Taiwan's market declined more than 8%, Bloom Pakistan reported.

Reserves improve, debt pressures remain

The State Bank of Pakistan reported a $39 million increase in its foreign exchange reserves, which reached $21.56 billion during the week ended 30 October 2026. However, Pakistan continued to face external debt pressures: the World Bank said the country's external debt stock rose 4% to $135.1 billion in 2025.

What to watch

Friday is the last trading day before a long weekend — the exchange stays closed on Monday 9 November for Iqbal Day. The first session ends at noon local time, with a second session from 2:32pm to 4:30pm. Traders will also watch the US payrolls report due at 13:30 GMT.

Sources: Bloom Pakistan, "Pakistan Stock Market Reverses Gains as KSE-100 Loses 2,200 Points", 6 November 2026, https://bloompakistan.com/pakistan-stock-market-reverses-gains-as-kse-100-loses-2200-points/; PSX Data Portal (official), https://dps.psx.com.pk/.