KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a strong recovery on Thursday. The benchmark KSE-100 index surged by 1,459 points amid a sharp decline in global oil prices, which uplifted the investor sentiment.
The KSE 100 index surged by 1,459.42 points, or 1.3 per cent, to 113,713.18 points, up from the 112,253.76 points recorded in the last session. The highest index of the day remained at 113,871.22 points, while the lowest level was recorded at 112,446.01 points.
Ahsan Mehanti, an analyst at Arif Habib Corp, said, “Stocks closed bullish led by scrips across the board amid speculations ahead of the SBP’s policy announcement on March 10.”
He said investor expectations for further ease in SBP policy after T-bill auction yields remained flat following a decade-low CPI inflation at 1.5 per cent YoY in February 2025, and a bull run in Asian equities on Trump tariff relief hopes played a catalyst role in bullish close at the PSX.
The KSE-30 index increased by 517.93 points or 1.49 per cent to 35,301.84 points against 34,783.91 points.
Traded shares rose by 110 million shares to 373.093 million shares against 263.963 million shares. The trading value surged to Rs26.249 billion from Rs13.731 billion. Market capital expanded to Rs14.036 trillion against Rs13.88 trillion. Of the 441 companies active in the session, 220 closed in green, 142 in red and 79 remained unchanged.
Analyst Maaz Mulla at Topline Securities said the equity market witnessed a robust rebound in Thursday’s session, with the benchmark index surging to an intraday high of 1,617 points. “This rally was primarily driven by a sharp decline in international oil prices, which plunged to multi-year lows, uplifting investor sentiment,” he said. “Moreover, speculation surrounding high-level meeting on the clearance of the longstanding circular debt further fuelled optimism across the board.”
As a result, the local bourse closed at 113,713 points, marking a substantial gain of 1,459 points (1.3 per cent). The rally was predominantly led by PPL, OGDC, MARI, PSO, and SNGP, which collectively contributed 835 points to the index.
The highest increase was recorded in Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited, which rose by Rs167.51 to Rs23,169 per share, followed by Pakistan State Oil Company Limited, which increased by Rs18.92 to Rs344.60 per share. A significant decline was noted in Nestle Pakistan Limited, which fell by Rs137.18 to Rs7,362.02 per share; Ismail Industries Limited followed it, which closed lower by Rs86.71 to Rs1,803.69 per share.
Analyst Muhammad Hasan Ather at JS Global said that news flow of possible resolution of circular debt kept the market upbeat. “Looking ahead, the outcome of the IMF bailout review could provide further direction. If approved, it may unlock additional funding, boosting investor confidence and potentially driving the market further higher,” he said.
Pak Int Bulk remained the volume leader with 48.305 million shares, which closed higher by 48 paisas to Rs10.06 per share. Fauji Cement, with 28.192 million shares, followed it, which closed higher by Rs2.09 to Rs42.02 per share. Other significant turnover stocks included WorldCall Telecom, Maple Leaf, Oil & Gas Dev, Pak Petroleum, Sui South Gas, BO Punjab, Sui North Gas and Cnergyico PK.
In the futures market, 326 companies recorded trading, 232 of which increased, 85 decreased and 9 remained unchanged.
