The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its upward momentum on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index climbing 489.75 points to reach 131,176.40, marking a 0.37% intra-day gain and setting another all-time high.
During the session, the index touched an intraday peak of 131,411.40 and a low of 130,716.10, as bullish sentiment persisted for the second consecutive day. Thursday’s session had also closed at a then-record level of 130,686.65, after adding 342.63 points.
Sustained Buying and Sector Leadership
Trading remained active with 73.6 million shares exchanged, amounting to a total value exceeding Rs 7.7 billion, underscoring continued investor interest across multiple sectors. Key drivers of the rally included oil and gas, banking, and power sectors.
According to Arif Habib Limited (AHL), while the index showed some two-way volatility around the 130,000 mark, it successfully held ground, closing above the psychological threshold.
Market Catalysts and Commentary
Market optimism was fueled by macroeconomic developments, particularly the State Bank’s foreign exchange reserves swelling by $5.1 billion to $14.5 billion by the end of FY25. The government’s recent decision to cut National Savings Scheme (NSS) rates also redirected investor interest toward equities.
“Stocks closed at a record high following the reduction in NSS rates and the boost in forex reserves, both of which are expected to support continued equity inflows,” noted Ahsan Mehanti, Managing Director at Arif Habib Corp.
Top Performers and Laggards
Among the key gainers:
- OGDC rose 2.77%
- Hub Power added 2.26%
- UBL gained 1.32%
On the downside:
- Bank AL Habib dropped 4.14%
- MCB Bank fell 2.46%
- Meezan Bank declined 1.6%
Most Active Stocks
- WorldCall Telecom led the volumes with 49.5 million shares traded, closing marginally lower at Rs1.59
- Image Pakistan followed with 36.7 million shares, surging Rs2.87 to Rs32.47
- Bank of Punjab traded 35.1 million shares, closing slightly down at Rs11.52
Despite local buying support, foreign investors offloaded shares worth Rs909 million, as reported by the National Clearing Company.
As the PSX continues its bullish run, analysts suggest the rally could be extended further, driven by improved macro indicators and investor rotation from fixed income to equities.
