PSX Closing Bell: The Climb Begins Again

March 03, 2026 (MLN): The KSE-100 Index made recovery on Tuesday, posting a strong rebound from yesterday, after a sharp collapse, as aggressive value buying lifted heavyweight sectors.

The benchmark index closed at 157,132.09, registering a robust gain of 5,159.10 points or 3.39%.

The session remained highly volatile, with the index moving within a wide range of 6,958.16 points.

It touched an intraday high of 158,217.01 (+6,244.02 points) and a low of 151,258.85 (-714.14 points), reflecting strong upward momentum after early fluctuations.

Total trading volume of the KSE-100 Index stood at 429.92 million shares, indicating a significant return of participation.

The surge follows Monday’s  meltdown, when the benchmark plunged over 16,000 points following a sharp escalation in Middle East hostilities, as rising military tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran unsettled global markets and sparked a wave of risk aversion among investors.

That dramatic sell-off had pushed the index close to bear-market territory and severely dented investor confidence.

Tuesday’s rally was driven by renewed institutional interest and broad-based accumulation in blue-chip stocks, particularly across banking, fertilizer, and energy counters. The strong close suggests that investors are gradually regaining confidence after the shock of the previous session’s collapse.

Market breadth remained positive, with 67 of the 100 index companies closing higher and 33 ending lower.

Top gainers during the day were YOUW (+10.21%), KEL (+8.81%), ABL (+8.38%), AIRLINK (+7.49%), and SCBPL (+7.47%).

On the other hand, top losers were UNITY (-10.42%), SSOM (-9.78%), PAEL (-9.04%), AICL (-8.74%), and TRG (-8.16%).

In terms of index-point contribution, the major drivers of the rally were FFC (+840.97pts), UBL (+673.53pts), ENGROH (+563.15pts), MEBL (+353.39pts), and MARI (+323.50pts).

Meanwhile, companies that weighed on the index included PAEL (-67.39pts), AICL (-60.70pts), AKBL (-55.02pts), TRG (-43.90pts), and SRVI (-40.51pts).

Sector-wise, the KSE-100 Index was primarily supported by Commercial Banks (+1,896.19pts), Fertilizer (+1,091.01pts), Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+688.20pts), Investment Banks/Investment Companies/Securities Companies (+556.35pts), and Power Generation & Distribution (+354.94pts).

Conversely, pressure was observed in Cable & Electrical Goods (-67.39pts), Insurance (-60.70pts), Leather & Tanneries (-40.51pts), Property (-32.56pts), and Miscellaneous (-18.87pts).

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 93,566.86, recording a net gain of 2,388.01 points or 2.62%.

Total market volume stood at 770.70 million shares compared to 809.55 million in the previous session, while traded value declined by Rs4.15 billion to Rs44.36 billion.

A total of 380,026 trades were reported in 479 companies, with 213 closing higher, 227 declining, and 39 remaining unchanged, highlighting improved but still cautious participation as the market attempts to recover from the previous day’s crash.

To note, the KSE-100 has gained 31,505 points or 25.08% during the fiscal year, whereas it has decreased 16,922 points or 9.72% so far this calendar year.

Similarly, in the United States, major indices also managed to recover late losses.

The S&P 500 edged  higher, while the Nasdaq Composite gained as well, signaling some stabilization in global risk sentiment.

Going forward, market direction is expected to remain closely tied to geopolitical developments.

According to Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, it remains to be seen whether the latest rebound proves to be merely a temporary “dead-cat” bounce or marks the beginning of a more sustainable recovery from the recent bearish spell.

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