KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) surged to historic highs on Friday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossed the 161,000 level for the first time, gaining over 2,400 points in early trading. At 11:10am, the index stood at 161,705.83, up by 2,425.74 points or 1.52%.
The bullish momentum was fueled by across-the-board buying in cement, banking, oil and gas, power generation, and refinery sectors. Heavyweight stocks including OGDC, PPL, MARI, PSO, HUBCO, and ARL all traded in the green, lifting market sentiment. Analysts linked the surge to improving macroeconomic stability and enhanced investor confidence.
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Samiullah Tariq of Pak-Kuwait Investment said optimism was rooted in Pakistan’s economic recovery and improved geopolitical standing, highlighted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir’s high-profile White House meeting with US President Donald Trump. The engagement signaled international confidence in Pakistan’s economic and political stability.
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Waqas Ghani of JS Global added that stronger external and fiscal balances under the IMF programme, coupled with upbeat corporate earnings, were pushing the rally. Liquidity-driven momentum has further strengthened buying confidence, he said.
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The record-breaking rally follows Thursday’s gains when the index closed at 159,280.09, up 1,043 points. Investors remain optimistic as government efforts to tackle circular debt reinforce confidence in the market’s outlook.
