PSX Closing Bell: The Street Ends Smiling

The index remained positive throughout the trading session, touching an intraday high of 171,920.80 (+4,076.56) and a low of 170,161.66 (+2,317.42) points. Total traded volume in the KSE-100 Index stood at 261.56 million shares.

Out of the 100 index companies, 92 closed higher while only 5 declined, reflecting broad-based buying across major sectors.

Among the top gainers were PTC (+7.27%), AKBL (+6.55%), MLCF (+5.95%), KOHC (+5.79%), and FCCL (+5.53%). On the losing side, SHFA (-1.80%), COLG (-1.42%), YOUW (-1.04%), THALL (-0.36%), and PSEL (-0.17%) posted minor declines.

In terms of index-point contribution, FFC (+291.06pts), UBL (+289.24pts), HBL (+255.57pts), ENGROH (+253.93pts), and LUCK (+224.93pts) led the benchmark’s advance. Meanwhile, COLG (-13.72pts), SHFA (-8.67pts), THALL (-2.46pts), PSEL (-1.58pts), and YOUW (-0.17pts) slightly limited gains.

Sector-wise, the market was mainly supported by Commercial Banks (+1490.57pts), Cement (+556.16pts), Oil & Gas Exploration Companies (+409.58pts), Fertilizer (+348.29pts), and Inv. Banks / Inv. Cos. / Securities Cos. (+268.05pts). Minor pressure came from Miscellaneous (-3.74pts), Automobile Parts & Accessories (-2.46pts), and Textile Weaving (-0.17pts).

In the broader market, the All-Share Index closed at 103,214.48, posting a gain of 2,024.02 points or 2.00%. Total market volume stood at 506.36 million shares, while traded value increased to Rs31.15 billion. A total of 371,993 trades were reported across 489 companies, with 345 closing higher, 107 lower, and 37 remaining unchanged.

Investor confidence strengthened after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that diplomatic efforts aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz were making significant progress, raising hopes of easing tensions between the United States and Iran.

The positive sentiment was further supported by a sharp decline in international oil prices, with Brent crude falling  to $97 per barrel. The drop in oil prices eased concerns over inflationary pressures and external account risks for Pakistan, encouraging aggressive buying in banking, cement, fertilizer, and exploration stocks throughout the session.