KEY POINTS
- KSE-100 Index gains 2,473 points, closing at 160,657.49.
- IMF Executive Board to review Pakistan’s tranche on December 8, 2025.
- Cement sector M&A activity fuels investor optimism.
- Trading volume rises to 797.18 million shares; 285 companies record gains.
ISLAMABAD: Strong buying momentum at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) propelled the benchmark KSE-100 Index up by nearly 2,500 points on Thursday, as investors reacted positively to the upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board meeting and sectoral merger developments.
The KSE-100 Index surged 2,473.55 points, or 1.56%, to settle at 160,657.49. The intra-day trading pattern showed early gains, mid-session consolidation, and a strong close near the day’s high, reflecting sustained bullish sentiment.
Analysts attributed the rally to the IMF’s announcement of its Executive Board discussion on Pakistan, scheduled for December 8, 2025.
The meeting is expected to deliberate on the release of the next $1.2 billion tranche, covering the second review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
Market participants anticipate that IMF approval will strengthen investor confidence and stabilise the financial landscape.
Topline Securities, in its post-market report, said renewed optimism from merger and acquisition activity in the cement sector also contributed to Thursday’s gains. “Index-heavy stocks including FFC, LUCK, MLCF, DGKC, and MARI collectively added 1,309 points to the benchmark,” the report noted. Conversely, HMB, AIRLINK, TRG, and INIL together shaved off 54 points.
The broader market saw increased activity with 797.18 million shares traded, up from 757.24 million in the previous session. The total value of shares declined slightly to Rs35.12 billion from Rs33.41 billion.
Bank Makramah led volumes with 112.16 million shares, followed by Dost Steels Ltd with 48.74 million, and F. Nat. Equities with 40.35 million. A total of 477 companies participated, with 285 posting gains, 142 recording declines, and 50 remaining unchanged.
Global markets showed mixed trends on Thursday, with US stocks and gold pausing after Congress voted to end the government shutdown.
Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.5%, while the broader Topix index climbed nearly 1% to a record high, as investors rotated funds from high-flying AI firms to other sectors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slightly retreated from a one-month peak, and Shanghai Composite rose 0.1%.
The Pakistani rupee registered a marginal gain in the inter-bank market, closing at 280.76 against the US dollar, up Re0.01.
Wednesday’s session had also shown a modest recovery at the PSX, with the KSE-100 Index adding 313.44 points, or 0.20%, to close at 158,183.95, following a prior sharp downturn.
