Karachi, May 15, 2025 – In a powerful display of market confidence, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) wrapped up Thursday’s session on a high note as the benchmark KSE-100 Index soared by 1,425.39 points, closing at an impressive 119,961.91. This marks a gain of 1.20% for the day and puts the index within striking distance of the symbolic 120,000-point mark.
Throughout the trading session, the KSE-100 Index remained in the green, reaching an intraday high of 119,990.30, up by 1,453.78 points. The lowest point of the session still reflected positive momentum at 118,871.13 points, suggesting steady bullish sentiment across the board. The total volume for the index was robust, standing at 310.69 million shares.
Out of the 100 constituent companies, 76 closed the day with gains, 24 posted losses, and none remained unchanged, underscoring a strong market-wide rally. Major contributors to the index’s surge included United Bank Limited (UBL), adding 229.04 points, Engro Corporation (ENGROH) with 140.45 points, Hub Power Company (HUBC) with 111.91 points, Engro Fertilizers (EFERT) contributing 94.84 points, and Meezan Bank (MEBL) with 80.42 points.
Top performing stocks based on percentage gains were Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTC) which gained 10.03%, Avanceon (AVN) rising by 8.62%, Bank of New York Mellon (BNWM) up by 8.60%, Attock Refinery Limited (ATRL) with a gain of 8.29%, and Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) itself adding 7.88%. On the downside, companies dragging the index included Pakistan Oil Mills (POML) down by 5.82%, Pakgen Power (PKGP) shedding 5.30%, Nishat Mills Limited (NML) losing 3.14%, TPL Real Estate Fund 1 (TPLRF1) down by 2.97%, and Mehmood Textile (MEHT) with a 1.90% decline.
Sector-wise, the rally was primarily driven by Commercial Banks, contributing 422.88 points, followed by Investment Banks and Securities Companies with 172.77 points, Oil & Gas Exploration Companies with 155.81 points, Fertilizer adding 143.69 points, and Power Generation & Distribution sectors with 94.57 points. On the other hand, minor setbacks came from the Real Estate Investment Trust sector, which lost 14.12 points, Textile Composite down by 11.87 points, Insurance with a loss of 5.01 points, and marginal declines in Automobile Parts and Paper & Packaging sectors.
In the broader market, the All-Share Index also posted a notable gain, closing at 74,240.52 with an increase of 901.96 points or 1.23%. Market participation remained strong with a total volume of 698.97 million shares traded, compared to 609.06 million in the previous session. However, the traded value fell slightly to Rs39.09 billion, a decrease of Rs2.82 billion. A total of 356,839 trades were executed across 457 companies. Among them, 311 stocks closed higher, 107 declined, and 39 remained unchanged.
The top 10 companies by trading volume included Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) with over 50.8 million shares, followed by Cnergyico PK Limited (CNERGY), K-Electric Limited (KEL), Kosmopolitan (KOSM), and Premier Insurance (PREMA), which posted a near-10% gain. Other active stocks included Sui Southern Gas (SSGC), Waves Corporation, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Bank of Punjab (BOP), and WorldCall Telecom (WTL).
With this rally, the KSE-100 Index has now posted a massive gain of 41,517 points, or 52.92%, during the ongoing fiscal year. In terms of the calendar year 2025, the index is up by 4,835 points, representing a 4.20% increase. This sustained performance reflects strong investor confidence and a generally positive outlook in Pakistan’s equity market despite lingering economic uncertainties.