ISLAMABAD, July 23 -- The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed Wednesday's trading session in the red, with the KSE-100 Index slipping by 165.26 points, or 0.12%, to settle at 139,254.35. This modest decline came despite a strong opening, where the index gained almost 700 points in early hours on the back of encouraging signals from military leadership.

The market opened on a high note, fueled by Field Marshal Asim Munir's recent engagement with top business leaders, where he expressed firm commitment to economic stability, investor confidence, and private sector growth. The army chief's support was initially welcomed, sparking optimism across key sectors such as automobile assemblers, commercial banks, and oil & gas exploration companie...