The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed the week on a bullish note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 1,435.34 points or 1.26%, ending Friday’s session at 115,272.08. The index experienced an intraday high of 115,356.12 and a low of 113,571.95, reflecting heightened investor activity amidst political and economic developments.
The market began cautiously as participants closely monitored political uncertainties, particularly regarding the conviction of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. However, optimism surged after the political verdict was announced, viewed as a step toward stabilising the political climate. This, combined with Pakistan’s robust current account surplus of $582 million in December 2024 — a 109% increase compared to the previous year — contributed to the positive sentiment.
Sectoral performance underscored investor confidence, with major gains seen in commercial banks (+353.51 points), oil and gas exploration companies (+233.22 points), and power generation (+194.01 points). Key contributors to the index’s rise included UBL (+199.36 points), HUBC (+179.75 points), and LUCK (+83.05 points). Conversely, sugar and allied industries, textile composite, and automobile parts and accessories sectors saw marginal declines.
Trading volume on the KSE-100 Index reached 212.26 million shares, while the broader All-Share Index saw a total of 549.58 million shares traded, reflecting a significant increase from the previous session. The traded value rose to Rs35.93 billion, compared to Rs24.98 billion a day earlier, indicating heightened market activity.
WorldCall Telecom led the trading volume with 101.93 million shares, followed by Hub Power Co. (36.89 million shares) and Hascol Petroleum (32.50 million shares). Notable gainers included Pakistan Global Container Terminal (+6.25%), The Searle Company (+6.09%), and Pak Suzuki Motors (+4.86%). On the downside, JDW Sugar Mills (-3.91%), Mehran Sugar Mills (-3.78%), and Habib Glass (-1.43%) registered declines.
Economic indicators also played a crucial role in boosting market sentiment. Pakistan’s Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) improved to 103.7 in December, up from 103.02 in November, signaling increased currency competitiveness. Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose by 20% in the first half of FY25, reaching $1.329 billion, further bolstering confidence in the economy’s outlook.
