Bulls dominate early trading at Pakistan Stock Exchange

Bulls maintained their momentum at the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday as the KSE-100 Index surged in early trading, reflecting strong investor confidence across multiple sectors.

The benchmark index opened the week with a significant gain of over 1,400 points, reaching 163,350.64 at 9:35am, marking an increase of 0.87 percent.

Activity remained robust, driven by widespread buying interest in key sectors including automobile assemblers, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, oil marketing companies, and power generation and refinery stocks.

Heavyweight companies such as ARL, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, SNGPL, SSGC, MCB, MEBL and UBL contributed to the positive sentiment, trading firmly in the green.

The strong opening follows a week of healthy gains at the PSX. The KSE-100 Index closed Friday at 161,935.19, up 2,342.29 points or 1.5 percent, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

Analysts attribute the continued upward trajectory to solid performances in core sectors, with the fertiliser segment attracting particular attention after the Economic Coordination Committee reportedly approved a shift from costlier RLNG to Mari gas. The move is expected to reduce subsidy pressure and stabilise urea prices, giving a boost to investor sentiment.

By 10:09am on Monday, the market maintained its strength, with the KSE-100 Index recorded at 163,153.32, reflecting a gain of 1,218.13 points or 0.75 percent. The intraday high stood at 163,457.44 while the low touched 162,784.88.

Trading volumes were substantial, with nearly 49.1 million shares changing hands in the early hours. On a broader scale, the market has shown impressive growth, with the KSE-100 Index up 72.17 percent over the past year and 41.72 percent year-to-date.

Market performers

Several individual stocks emerged as early movers, highlighting both strong advances and notable declines. Among the top performers, IBLHL, REDCO, DWAE, ICL, and PIOC posted gains of up to 10 percent, while BECO, ANSM, LSEFSL and NSRM also recorded significant upward momentum.

Conversely, stocks including GEMNETS, GLPL, FSWL, ARUJ, and AKGL faced sharp declines, some falling close to 10 percent, reflecting a mix of profit-taking and sector-specific pressures.

Previous session

Friday’s session had set a positive tone, with the KSE-100 Index climbing 1,277.70 points or 0.80 percent to close at 161,935.19. During the day, the index touched an intraday high of 162,118.75 and a low of 160,791.78, demonstrating a generally steady performance. Trading activity was vigorous, with a total volume of 239.78 million shares. Of the 100 index constituents, 67 closed higher, 32 ended in the red, and one remained unchanged.

As the market opens the new week on a firm footing, investor focus appears to be concentrated on fundamental developments in key sectors, particularly fertiliser and energy, alongside broader economic cues.