KEY POINTS
- KSE-100 Index climbs 1,590.68 points (0.98%) to 163,847.68
- Intraday trading spanned 162,058.64 to 163,903.62
- 482 scrips active: 235 gainers, 216 losers, 31 unchanged
- Volume at 483.7 million shares; top names drive directional flows
ISLAMABAD: Tightening grip over the Pakistani capital market, bulls on Monday extended the trajectory of the shares changing hands on the local bourse to yet another record high.
The KSE-100 Index rose 1,590.68 points, or 0.98 per cent, to close at 163,847.68, moving between a low of 162,058.64 and an intraday peak of 163,903.62, according to the PSX daily summary.
Other barometers, the broader All-Share Index and KSE-30, also posted gains in line with the benchmark, reflecting broad-based buying across sectors.
Market breadth remained positive, with 235 gainers, 216 losers and 31 unchanged among the 482 active scrips. Aggregate trading volume reached 1.29 billion shares, with a total traded value of Rs. 65.77 billion, signalling robust participation and sustained investor appetite compared with the previous session.
Top traded names drove the rally
The session’s momentum was anchored by K-Electric Ltd., WorldCall Telecom, Cnergyico PK Ltd., Bank of Punjab, and Pakistan International Airlines Corp., which dominated both volume and value charts.
Analysts quoted by Business Recorder highlighted that institutional buying and renewed retail activity provided strong support for benchmark indices.
Drivers and underlying sentiment
Commentators told Dawn that optimism over government initiatives to address the energy sector’s circular debt, alongside expectations of continued foreign inflows, bolstered confidence.
“Investor sentiment is improving due to stronger macro indicators and a stabilising external account,” said an analyst at Arif Habib Ltd.
Regional and global linkages
Regional markets have also reflected mixed performance, with gains in Japan’s Nikkei contrasting with declines in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Reuters reported that global investors were closely monitoring US Federal Reserve policy cues and energy market volatility, which influenced emerging market flows, including Pakistan’s bourse.
Outlook
While bullish momentum remains intact, market watchers caution that sustainability depends on continued policy clarity, macroeconomic stability, and progress on energy sector reforms. They also warned about an overdue technical correction in the overbought market.
Analysts told Arab News that profit-taking may emerge following consecutive record closes. Still, prevailing positive sentiment may not allow the bears to return to the bourse in the near term, they maintained.
