Karachi – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) wrapped up the final trading session of the week on a high note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index climbing by 449.53 points, or 0.39%, to close at 115,469.34. The session was characterized by significant volatility, with the index swinging over a wide range of 2,128.28 points. It touched an intraday high of 115,844.88, representing a gain of 825.07 points, and a low of 113,716.60, indicating a decline of 1,303.21 points. Despite the fluctuations, market sentiment leaned positive by the close, buoyed primarily by strength in the banking and fertilizer sectors.
The KSE-100 Index saw a total trading volume of 213.62 million shares, showcasing continued investor interest in the equities market. Out of the 100 companies that make up the index, 44 closed with gains, 52 ended in the red, 3 remained unchanged, while 1 company saw no trading activity. The session’s positive momentum was driven largely by strong performances in blue-chip financial stocks and select industrial counters.
Among the top gainers of the day were HBL, which surged by 6.92%, followed by NBP (+5.45%), SAZEW (+4.28%), MLCF (+4.12%), and PABC (+3.24%). These stocks were pivotal in lifting the index, especially HBL, which alone contributed 185.54 points to the overall gain. Other significant positive contributors included FFC with a 125.55-point uplift, MEBL with 95.03 points, MCB with 87.30 points, and NBP with 76.44 points, reaffirming the strength of the financial sector.
Conversely, the trading session also saw notable declines. GLAXO fell by 7.85%, making it the biggest loser of the day, followed by JDWS (-6.07%), SCBPL (-3.61%), PKGP (-3.12%), and AVN (-2.88%). In terms of index impact, MARI led the downside with a loss of 74.66 points, while GLAXO (-73.43 points), UBL (-54.30 points), PPL (-51.94 points), and PSO (-48.58 points) also contributed significantly to downward pressure on the benchmark index.
Sector-wise, Commercial Banks led the market with a substantial positive contribution of 401.52 points, followed by Fertilizer (+131.72 points), Cement (+104.80 points), Investment Banks and Securities Companies (+48.07 points), and Automobile Assemblers (+35.45 points). However, certain sectors weighed negatively on the index, including Oil & Gas Exploration Companies, which dragged it down by 124.12 points, Pharmaceuticals (-90.73 points), Oil & Gas Marketing Companies (-41.15 points), Refineries (-24.68 points), and Sugar & Allied Industries (-14.55 points).
In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 72,114.83, showing a marginal loss of 9.08 points or 0.01%. Market activity remained vibrant with total traded volume across all listed stocks at 471.07 million shares, down slightly from 506.70 million in the previous session. However, traded value increased significantly to Rs27.31 billion, a rise of Rs2.82 billion, indicating greater investor participation and larger trade sizes.
A total of 294,494 trades were executed across 441 companies. Among these, 182 companies closed with gains, 204 ended in the red, and 55 remained unchanged. Despite some weakness in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors, the overall tone of the market was cautiously optimistic. Investor confidence was boosted by encouraging earnings in the banking sector and anticipation of continued macroeconomic stability. As the market moves into the next week, eyes will remain on monetary policy cues, corporate results, and global economic signals, which will likely steer the short-term direction of the PSX.