KEY POINTS
- Benchmark index closes at 155,384.50, up 944.82 points (0.61%)
- Turnover at 857.6 million shares, traded value Rs32.72 billion; market cap rises by Rs70.9 billion (0.39%)
- Pace (Pak), Bank of Punjab, Pakistan International Bulk Terminal lead volumes
- Rupee steady at PKR 281.30–281.52 per USD in interbank market
ISLAMABAD: Bulls returned to the Pakistani bourse on Monday with traders reading the central bank’s maintained policy rate as a good omen for the market in terms of shielding against inflationary pressures.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s broad-based rebound followed a couple of corrected sessions in the last week. The KSE-100 Index climbed 944.82 points, or 0.61 per cent, to close at 155,384.50, as renewed buying interest surfaced and profit-taking eased.
According to PSX’s market summary, the index reached an intraday high of 155,602.29 before easing into the close.
Trading turnover stood at 857.61 million shares, down from over 996 million in the previous session, while traded value was Rs 32.72 billion. Market capitalisation increased by Rs 70.9 billion, or 0.39 per cent, to Rs 18.36 trillion, compared with the prior session.
“After a brief pause, buying returned to the market, supported by expectations of monetary easing and strength in corporate earnings,” the local media reported, noting that strength was visible across banking, cement, and select technology stocks.
The day’s activity was dominated by Pace (Pak) with 77.82 million shares traded, Bank of Punjab (BOP) (58.23 million shares), and Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBTL) (53.41 million shares), according to PSX data.
Out of 481 actively traded companies, 242 advanced, 205 declined, and 34 remained unchanged, suggesting healthy breadth in participation.
Among top gainers were Pakistan Refinery, Indus Dyeing, and First Credit & Investment Bank, which climbed near upper price bands; top losers included Pioneer Cement, Bank of Punjab, and Pakistan Hotels Developers, hit by profit-taking pressure, according to the PSX daily market report.
Regional and International Glance: Asian markets broadly aligned with PSX’s positive tone: Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.3%, South Korea’s KOSPI gained 1.3%, Taiwan’s benchmark up 1.46%, according to Reuters.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.5%, and the mainland Chinese blue chips gained 0.2%. U.S. indexes — S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones — closed at fresh highs overnight, supporting sentiment in Asian markets.
Currency: In the interbank market, the rupee closed around PKR 281.30–281.52 per U.S. dollar, showing continued stability, with the State Bank of Pakistan confirming the parity.
