Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) maintained its bullish momentum on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining more than 1,300 points during the opening minutes of trading, following a strong rebound in the previous session. Investor confidence remained high as buying activity continued across major sectors, supported by improved global sentiment, easing geopolitical tensions, and lower international oil prices.
Key Highlights
- KSE-100 Index climbed 1,320.37 points (0.73%) to 181,335.30 by 9:40am.
- The benchmark extended Wednesday's strong rally after reclaiming the 180,000-point level for the first time in 16 trading sessions.
- Broad-based buying was witnessed in major sectors, including:
- Automobile assemblers
- Cement
- Chemical
- Commercial banks
- Fertiliser
- Oil & gas exploration
- Oil marketing companies (OMCs)
- Power generation
- Major index-heavy stocks trading in positive territory included ARL, HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, MCB, MEBL, and NBP.
- On Wednesday, the KSE-100 Index surged 2,931.71 points (1.66%) to close at 180,014.93, driven by easing Middle East tensions and falling global crude oil prices.
- Lower international oil prices boosted investor sentiment, encouraging fresh buying across key sectors.
- In global markets, Asian shares traded mixed on Thursday as investors paused after an AI-led rally, while oil prices remained stable amid expectations of a potential Iran peace deal.
- MSCI Asia-Pacific Index (excluding Japan) fell 0.69%, with technology stocks leading regional losses.
- South Korea's benchmark declined 3.64%, while Japan's Nikkei slipped 1.57% after weakness in semiconductor and technology shares.
- Wall Street also ended lower overnight as disappointing market reactions to earnings from major technology companies weighed on investor sentiment despite solid financial results.
The continued strength in the Pakistan Stock Exchange reflects improving investor confidence, with market participants closely monitoring global economic developments, oil price trends, and geopolitical conditions for further direction.
