Karachi: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a significant improvement in investor confidence on Thursday, due to which the KSE-100 index recorded a strong rally. At the close of trading, the benchmark index closed at 168,514.45 points, up 3,683.02 points.
According to market data, the trading day began at 166,638.56 points, while the index touched a high of 168,869.18 points during the trading session. Throughout the day, buying in the banking, fertilizer, power and cement sectors was dominant, which helped the market continue to rise.
The Pakistan Stock Market recorded an overall increase of 2.23 percent today, which experts are linking to increasing investor confidence and improving economic expectations. According to analysts, the possible reduction in interest rates, the relatively stable situation of the rupee and activity in the financial sector made the market environment positive.
According to data, United Bank Limited (UBL) proved to be the biggest “Puller” which added 560.70 points to the index. Similarly, Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) gained 365.48 points, Lucky Cement (LUCK) gained 244.90 points, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) gained 222.34 points, while HUBCO gained 214.59 points.
On the other hand, limited pressure was also seen in the shares of a few companies. ILP had a negative impact of 5.39 points on the index, while MEHT, JDWS, SAZEW and HCAR were also among the draggers. However, the negative impact of these companies could not affect the overall market momentum.
According to the data released by PSX, the KSE-100 constituent volume was 270.58 million shares, which indicates that investor interest in the market is maintained. Since the beginning of the financial year, the KSE-100 index has shown remarkable performance with a growth of 34.14 percent, although on a calendar year-to-date basis the index is still in the negative zone of 3.18 percent.
Market experts say that signs of stability in Pakistan’s economy, external financial support and government reform measures are leading to an increase in investor confidence. According to them, if political stability continues, the market may improve further in the coming weeks.
Investor circles have also welcomed the current market rally and expressed hope that more investment may be seen in the banking and energy sectors. However, experts have warned that global economic uncertainty, oil price volatility and geopolitical tensions can still pose risks to the market.
