KARACHI – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued to trade in a positive mood on Thursday, with key benchmark indices ending the day in the green on cautious but persistent buying by investors. According to market data, the KSE-100 index closed at 169,703.60 points, up 276.16 points, while the KMI-30 index rose 407.02 points to 242,499.84 points.
During the trading session, the KSE-100 index touched a high of 170,138.19 points, while the low was recorded at 168,682.25 points. The market opened at 168,877.78 points, after which volatility was witnessed throughout the day but the overall trend remained positive.
According to market experts, investment interest in the banking, energy and fertilizer sectors provided support to the index. In particular, MCB Bank (MEBL), Mari Petroleum (MARI), Engro Holdings (ENGRO), United Bank Limited (UBL) and Pakistan Oil Fields (POL) played a significant positive role in the index.
According to the data, MCB Bank gained 78.68 points, Mari Petroleum 60.02 points and Engro 59.61 points. Similarly, UBL and POL also played an important role in pushing the market up.
On the other hand, a few large shares also caused pressure on the market. Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), Hub Power Company (HUBC), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Engro Fertilizer (EFERT) and Fatima Fertilizer (FATIMA) were among the prominent companies that limited the index’s momentum.
The total volume of shares of companies included in the KSE-100 index was recorded at 186.64 million shares, which reflects active investment in the market. The index has recorded a 35.08 percent increase since the beginning of the year (FYTD), while on a calendar year-to-date (CYTD) basis, the index is still down 2.50 percent.
Meanwhile, the Sharia-compliant MI-30 index also performed strongly. The index saw a high of 243,489.84 points and a low of 240,822.62 points during the day. Overall, the index recorded a gain of 0.17 percent.
Financial experts say that investors are now keeping a close eye on economic indicators, interest rates, foreign investment and government economic policies. If the current confidence continues, the market may move towards further stability and improvement in the coming weeks.
According to analysts, positive business results, stable macroeconomic indicators and strong performance of the financial sector have become encouraging factors for the Pakistan Stock Exchange, due to which investor confidence is gradually restoring.
