PSX starts week strong with KSE-100 up over 1,800 points 

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) began the new week on a positive note, with the benchmark KSE-100 index posting solid gains in early trading on Monday. The market carried forward last week’s bullish momentum, with investor sentiment appearing upbeat. 

At around 10:18 AM, the KSE-100 index jumped by 1,222 points to hit 135,521, the day’s highest level so far, with a trading volume of over 43.7 million shares. By 10:24 AM, the index stood at 135,426.97, up 1,127.21 points or 0.84 per cent. Trading activity remained healthy, with total volume crossing 48 million shares and the traded value reaching Rs4.28 billion. 

The benchmark moved within a narrow range between 134,937.43 and 135,521.84 in the early session. On a yearly basis, the index has surged by 69.40 per cent, while the year-to-date gain now stands at 17.63 per cent. 

The market’s upbeat opening follows a strong finish to last week, when the KSE-100 had closed Friday’s session at 134,299.76, up by 517.42 points or 0.39 per cent. The index had remained in the green throughout that session, hitting an intraday high of 134,931.96 and a low of 134,130.40, with 290 million shares changing hands. 

Among today’s top performers, Crescent Star Insurance Ltd (CSIL) rose by 25.22 per cent to Rs4.22, followed by Pak International Lines (PIL), Sitara Peroxide Ltd (STPL), and Fateh Dairies (FDPL), which also saw double-digit percentage gains.

On the flip side, Thatta Cement (TRSM) led the losers, dropping 12.95 per cent to Rs6.72. Tariq Glass (TSML), JK Sugar Mills (JKSM), and Kohinoor Oil (KOIL) were also among the top decliners in early trade. 

The stock market extended its gains after midday, with the PSX rising by 1,823.05 points to 136,122.81 around 2:34 PM. This marked an increase of 1.36 per cent, with the trading volume reaching 207.8 million shares. 

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