PSX touches historic high, surges past 161k in intraday trade

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed an extraordinary rally on the last trading day of the week as the benchmark KSE-100 index surged to record highs during Friday’s early session. The market opened on a strong note and remained firmly in the green throughout the morning, boosted by strong investor sentiment and a positive global backdrop.

At the opening bell, the KSE-100 index climbed 1,177.07 points to reach 160,457.16 with volumes recorded at over 14 million shares by 9:22 AM. The bullish momentum continued to strengthen, and by 10:14 AM the index had risen by 2,011.34 points, breaking through the 161,000 mark for the first time in history to touch 161,291.43. At this point, volumes had swelled to nearly 115 million shares, reflecting heightened activity across key sectors.

By 10:19 AM, the index was trading at 161,200.83, marking a gain of 1,920.74 points or 1.21 percent compared with the previous close. Intraday data shows that the PSX has so far traded between a low of 159,901.55 and a high of 161,291.43. With volumes crossing 125 million shares in just the opening hours, the market displayed robust participation from retail and institutional investors alike.

This surge has set a new all-time record for the exchange. Over a one-year period, the KSE-100 index is up by an impressive 97.41 percent, while the year-to-date performance shows a gain of 40.02 percent, underscoring the strength of the market’s recovery and growth in 2025.

Political and global backdrop

The rally after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US President Donald Trump at the White House. The premier was accompanied by Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. During the meeting, both sides discussed the Middle East situation, particularly the Gaza conflict. Prime Minister Sharif praised Trump’s recent initiative of gathering Muslim leaders in New York to discuss peace efforts. Analysts believe the improving diplomatic environment has also contributed to investor optimism.

Market movers: top advancers and decliners

Among the day’s top gainers, several stocks hit the upper limit with double-digit percentage gains. ZAHID was trading at Rs70.02, up Rs6.37 or 10.01 percent. DMC gained Rs8.31 to Rs91.38, INKL climbed Rs6.15 to Rs67.64, while RCML advanced Rs50.93 to reach Rs560.18. Other notable advancers included DINT, HASCOL, SFL, STJT, KOHP and DSIL, all rising close to 10 percent.

On the other hand, UDPL led the decliners’ chart, falling Rs10.70 to Rs105.14, a decline of 9.24 percent. FSWL dropped by Rs10.16 to Rs129, DIIL slid by Rs3.55 to Rs46.51, and ARUJ fell to Rs12.20, losing 7.08 percent. Other notable losers included SERT, LSEFSL, GCWL, UVIC, CASH and FZCM, showing weakness across selective counters despite the broader market strength.

KSE-100 index constituents in the red

Within the KSE-100 basket, some major names were seen under selling pressure. K-Electric fell 3.25 percent to Rs7.14 with heavy volumes of over 20 million shares. PSEL slipped 1.49 percent to Rs940.50, while PGLC, SCBPL and Cnergy also posted small declines. Large-cap players such as Nestle and TRG were marginally lower, reflecting profit-taking at higher levels.

KSE-100 index companies in the green

Conversely, several blue-chip stocks led the market’s upward charge. HBL was among the star performers, gaining 5.75 percent to trade at Rs273.35 with healthy volumes of nearly 2.9 million shares. DG Khan Cement rose by 4.55 percent to Rs264.50, while Maple Leaf Cement gained 3.74 percent to Rs111.50. Banking and cement sectors remained at the forefront of buying activity, with UBL, MCB, MEBL and HUBC also recording solid gains.

Mari Petroleum gained Rs17.09 to Rs723.49, while Lucky Cement climbed 1.80 percent to Rs473. Major players such as Engro, Fauji Cement, PTC and Abbot also contributed positively to the index.

Comparison with Thursday’s session

On Thursday, September 25, the KSE-100 index had already closed strongly at 159,280.09, up 1,043.42 points or 0.66 percent. The index remained positive throughout that session with an intraday high of 159,537.60 and a low of 158,297.43. Trading volumes were recorded at 880 million shares for the day. While 47 companies closed in the green and 50 ended in the red, the leading contributors then were HUBC, Engro, HBL, MARI and EFERT.

Friday’s early session, however, shows an even more bullish trend, with the index not once slipping into negative territory since the opening bell. This strong rally marks a continuation of investor optimism that has been building over recent weeks, driving the PSX to levels never seen before.

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