Bulls prevail at PSX amid UBL performance, strong economic indicators

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended the week on a positive note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 414 points (0.35 per cent) to close at 117,315.58, supported by robust earnings from UBL and strong economic data, analysts said.

The index largely remained in the green throughout the session, buoyed by positive news flow — including Pakistan posting its highest-ever monthly current account surplus of $1.195 billion in March 2025, and the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) dropping to 101.62 in March from 102.25 in February, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), a Topline Securities research note said.

“Stocks closed higher as investors responded to encouraging macroeconomic indicators such as the record current account surplus, lower inflation, and healthy remittance inflows in March 2025,” said Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Commodities.

Also read: BYD, Audi, JAC, and others announce repair offers for storm-damaged vehicles

He added that Fitch Ratings’ projections of GDP growth inching up to 3 per cent, a primary surplus of 2 per cent of GDP in FY25, and a current account deficit limited to 1 per cent of GDP also strengthened investor confidence.

“Speculation over the likely receipt of IMF’s EFF and RSF tranches, expectations of monetary policy easing by the SBP next month, and ongoing discussions on the privatisation of SOEs acted as key catalysts for the bullish close,” Mehanti told HUM News English.

Ismail Iqbal Securities noted, “The benchmark index closed in the green, strongly supported by UBL’s performance following its earnings announcement a day earlier. While overall sentiment remained volatile, the ongoing results season kept investors selectively engaged.”

Top contributors to the index’s gain were UBL, LUCK, SAZEW, MEBL, and SYS, which collectively added 913 points.

In terms of traded value, SAZEW (Rs 2.41 billion), PSO (Rs2.26 billion), MARI (Rs1.77 billion), UBL (Rs1.74 billion), and LUCK (Rs1.72 billion) led the session.

UBL continued to attract strong investor interest, closing 9.57 per cent higher. The rally followed its 1Q2025 results, where it reported a record-high diluted EPS of Rs28.9 — up 126 per cent year-on-year and 39 per cent quarter-on-quarter — along with an interim dividend of Rs 11 per share.

The bank also announced a 2-for-1 stock split, according to Topline Securities. Traded volume and value for the day stood at 422 million shares and Rs 34.4 billion, respectively.