PSX Closing Bell: Bulls in the Driver’s Seat

February 26, 2026 (MLN): The KSE-100 Index staged a strong rebound on Thursday, as easing selling pressure and renewed buying interest fueled a broad-based rally across key sectors.

The benchmark index closed at 168,893.08, registering a robust gain of 4,266.79 points or 2.59%. The market witnessed significant volatility during the session, trading within a range of 6,420.64 points. It touched an intraday high of 169,374.27 (+4,747.98 points) and a low of 162,953.63 (-1,672.66 points).

Total trading volume of the KSE-100 Index stood at 355.32 million shares.

After several sessions of persistent decline, the market saw a decisive shift in momentum as earlier selling exhaustion gave way to aggressive value hunting. Improved investor confidence encouraged participants to re-enter fundamentally strong stocks, transforming a cautious rebound into a widespread rally. The strong closing level reflected a noticeable recovery in sentiment and renewed optimism in the near-term outlook.

Market breadth turned firmly positive, with 79 of the 100 index companies closing higher, 21 ending lower, and none remaining unchanged.

Top gainers during the day were NML (+9.93%), SNGP (+8.36%), BOP (+7.76%), AICL (+7.18%), and AKBL (+6.77%).

On the other hand, top losers were UNITY (-10.02%), PGLC (-9.84%), PAKT (-7.56%), SSOM (-6.05%), and JDWS (-3.11%).

In terms of index-point contribution, major support came from FFC (+697.47pts), ENGROH (+467.13pts), HUBC (+352.64pts), PPL (+194.52pts), and HBL (+168.31pts).

Meanwhile, companies that weighed on the index included PAKT (-48.54pts), UNITY (-16.03pts), NESTLE (-11.76pts), TPLRF1 (-10.52pts), and GLAXO (-9.29pts).

Sector-wise, the KSE-100 Index was primarily supported by Fertilizer (+878.55pts), Commercial Banks (+570.63pts), Investment Banks/Investment Companies/Securities Companies (+485.44pts), Cement (+467.86pts), and Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+430.34pts).

Conversely, pressure was observed in Tobacco (-48.54pts), Sugar & Allied Industries (-8.07pts), Food & Personal Care Products (-2.10pts), Vanaspati & Allied Industries (-1.74pts), and Textile Spinning (-1.15pts).

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 100,888.78, posting a net gain of 1,889.56 points or 1.91%.

Total market volume rose to 692.40 million shares compared to 619.63 million in the previous session, while traded value increased by Rs6.55 billion to Rs35.80 billion.

A total of 343,452 trades were reported in 487 companies, with 291 closing higher, 144 declining, and 52 remaining unchanged, underscoring the strength of the day’s recovery and improved overall market participation.

To note, the KSE-100 has gained 43,266 points or 34.44% during the fiscal year, whereas it has decreased 5,161 points or 2.97% so far this calendar year.

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