The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a robust performance midweek as the benchmark KSE-100 Index closed at 119,931.45 points on Wednesday, marking a gain of 960.33 points or 0.81%. The session reflected widespread investor optimism, with the index maintaining a positive trajectory throughout the trading day.
The KSE-100 reached an intraday high of 120,106.21 points, up by 1,135.09 points at one stage, while the lowest point of the day was recorded at 119,128.38, still showing an increase of 157.26 points. The strong momentum was backed by both institutional and retail participation, signaling investor confidence amid favorable macroeconomic indicators and sectoral optimism.
The total volume traded on the KSE-100 stood at an impressive 280.86 million shares. Out of the 100 companies listed on the index, 66 ended the session in the green, 31 recorded losses, and 3 remained unchanged.
Top gainers during the session included Pakistan Oil Mills Limited (POML), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Attock Gen Limited (AGL), K-Electric Limited (KEL), and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTC), all posting significant upward movements. Notably, POML, NBP, and AGL each surged by 10.00%, while KEL climbed 8.20% and PTC rose by 5.32%.
Conversely, companies that saw losses included Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Limited (SCBPL) with a drop of 4.21%, followed by TPL Real Estate First (TPLRF1) at -2.61%, JDW Sugar Mills (JDWS) at -1.87%, National Foods (NATF) at -1.76%, and Mughal Iron & Steel (MUGHAL) at -1.74%.
In terms of index point contributions, NBP led the positive drive by adding 149.25 points to the index, followed by Bank Alfalah Limited (BAHL) with 103.02 points, United Bank Limited (UBL) with 91.29 points, Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) with 87.15 points, and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) with 50.11 points.
On the downside, the biggest draggers on the index were Lucky Cement (LUCK) losing 26.16 points, Habib Metropolitan Bank (HMB) with a 23.81-point decline, SCBPL shaving off 16.51 points, MCB Bank (MCB) with 14.01 points down, and TPLRF1 decreasing the index by 13.56 points.
From a sectoral standpoint, the rally was primarily driven by Commercial Banks, contributing a significant 412.55 points. Other leading sectors included Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+171.85 points), Power Generation & Distribution (+68.02 points), Technology & Communication (+55.10 points), and the Refinery sector (+50.57 points).
Some sectors did see minor setbacks, with Engineering (-12.42 points), Real Estate Investment Trusts (-10.59 points), Sugar & Allied Industries (-5.07 points), Paper, Board & Packaging (-2.94 points), and Tobacco (-2.56 points) weighing slightly on the broader market.
Meanwhile, the broader All-Share Index also experienced bullish momentum, closing at 74,510.50 with a net gain of 631.61 points or 0.85%. Market activity picked up sharply with total volume reaching 667.69 million shares, significantly higher than the previous session’s 437.92 million. The total traded value rose to Rs26.62 billion, up by Rs5.81 billion from a day earlier.
Across the board, 463 companies were traded. Out of these, 287 advanced, 125 declined, and 51 remained unchanged, indicating a predominantly positive market sentiment.
The most actively traded stocks by volume included K-Electric Limited (KEL) leading with over 103 million shares traded, followed by Kosmopolitan Investments (KOSM), WorldCall Telecom (WTL), Cnergyico PK Limited (CNERGY), and Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL).
With this surge, the KSE-100 has now gained a total of 41,486 points or 52.89% during the current fiscal year. For the ongoing calendar year, the index has climbed 4,805 points, reflecting a 4.17% increase, showcasing sustained investor confidence in the market’s medium- to long-term outlook.