The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its bullish trend on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index closing above 162,000, marking a new record high. The positive momentum was driven by optimism following the recent meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump.
The index reached an intra-day high of 162,422.28 points before settling at 162,257, up by 2,976.91 points or 1.87%. Investor sentiment remained strong throughout the session, supported by the discussions on economic recovery and the potential for stronger Pakistan-US relations. Buying interest was seen across key sectors, including cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration, OMCs, power generation, and refinery. Major stocks such as ARL, HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, SNGPL, and PSO all traded in the green.
Analysts attributed the rally to an improved economic outlook for Pakistan, with Samiullah Tariq, Head of Research at Pak-Kuwait Investment Company, highlighting continued economic recovery and improved geopolitical standing as key drivers of the market’s positive sentiment.
The market’s optimism was also buoyed by the Prime Minister’s recent meeting with US President Trump at the White House, where the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and Trump’s efforts to end the Gaza conflict. The prime minister invited US companies to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, IT, energy, and minerals sectors, further strengthening bilateral ties.
Waqas Ghani, Head of Research at JS Global, pointed out that Pakistan’s improved external and fiscal balances under the IMF program have bolstered confidence in macro stability, with strong liquidity and momentum driving investor interest in cyclical stocks.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed satisfaction with the PSX’s performance, stating that the country is moving towards economic development after achieving economic stability. On Thursday, the KSE-100 had already reached a new all-time high, settling at 159,280.09, up by 1,043.42 points or 0.66%, amid optimism surrounding the government’s efforts to address circular debt.
