KSE-100 rebounds after mid-session dip, closes up 450 points

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index closed in the green on Friday after a volatile trading session that saw wide swings in investor sentiment. The index finished at 115,469.34, gaining 449.53 points or 0.39% by day’s end.

The market opened on a strong note, rallying over 800 points in early trade. Midday selling wiped out most of the gains, briefly pulling the index into negative territory, before a late-session recovery pushed it back up into the positive zone.

Friday’s uptick offered some respite after Thursday’s sharp sell-off, when the KSE-100 Index had plunged by over 2,200 points amid widespread investor caution.

After Jummah break, the market saw an intense sell-off, with the KSE 100 index touching 113,716 points, its lowest in the last one month. However, a buying spree before the maket close took the market into green.

Despite the local fluctuations, regional markets posted gains, driven by a rebound in global tech stocks. In the U.S., Alphabet—Google’s parent company—exceeded profit expectations and reaffirmed its commitment to AI investment, lifting its stock nearly 5% in after-hours trading. This optimism spilled over into broader tech shares and helped boost S&P 500 futures by 0.5%.

The PSX’s rebound signals resilient investor interest amid a choppy global and domestic landscape. Gains in tech-led international markets and some softening of trade tensions between major economies offered support. However, local factors—such as fiscal policy signals and political developments—continue to shape market direction.