Pakistan Stock Exchange Reaches Historic Milestone, Surges Past 100,000-Point Mark
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) made history on Thursday as the benchmark KSE-100 index soared past the unprecedented 100,000-point level, reflecting renewed investor optimism and a promising start to the trading session.
The KSE-100 index recorded an intra-day increase of 947.32 points, or 0.95%, reaching 100,216.57 points from its previous close of 99,269.25. By the end of the session, the index closed at a record high of 100,540.29 points, gaining 813.52 points, or 0.82%.
Robust Trading Activity
The trading floor witnessed strong participation, with over 154 million shares exchanged, amounting to a total value exceeding Rs 4.5 billion. This remarkable recovery follows a challenging start to the week, when the index fell over 3,500 points on Tuesday amid political unrest in Islamabad.
Factors Driving the Market Rally
The market’s bullish momentum reflects easing political tensions and positive economic indicators. Strong performances in sectors such as banking, automobile, oil and gas, and power generation also played a key role in sustaining the rally.
Wednesday marked a significant rebound, with the KSE-100 index experiencing its largest single-day surge in history, gaining 4,695.09 points (4.96%) to close at 99,269.25. This turnaround followed an earlier sell-off that had caused a decline of over 3,500 points.
Sectoral Performance
Key contributors to the market’s upward trajectory included:
- Fauji Fertiliser Company (+9.1%)
- Habib Bank Limited (+10%)
- Systems Limited (+7.82%)
- Bank Alfalah
- Pakistan Petroleum
Collectively, these stocks added over 1,500 points to the index.
Investor Sentiment and Market Highlights
Analysts attributed the rally to the resolution of political unrest, with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ending its protests in Islamabad. Improved macroeconomic indicators, speculation of further inflation control, and rupee stability further bolstered investor confidence.
Trading volumes for Wednesday reached 1.06 billion shares, with a total value of Rs39.6 billion. Notable volume leaders included:
- The Bank of Punjab: 114.97 million shares (+Rs1, closing at Rs7.85)
- Hascol Petroleum: 106.3 million shares (-Rs1, closing at Rs12.59)
- K-Electric: 91.2 million shares (+Rs0.5, closing at Rs5.15)
Foreign investors sold shares worth Rs1.88 billion, according to data from the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL).
Looking Ahead
The PSX’s remarkable performance reflects resilience and optimism in Pakistan’s economic outlook. Analysts remain bullish, citing easing political tensions, declining fixed-income yields, and improved macroeconomic indicators as factors likely to sustain this positive trend.
This historic milestone underscores the market’s potential and highlights Pakistan’s opportunities for economic growth and development.
