Equities extend gains

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange on Tuesday extended its bullish trend and closed on strong positive note with healthy gains on the back of continuous buying on available attractive, low levels.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index surged by 1,632.41 points or 1.47 percent and closed at 113,010.38 points. During the session, the index hit 113,233.41 points however closed at slightly lower level due to profit taking in some stocks.

Trading activity also improved as daily volumes on ready counter increased to 486.935 million shares as compared to 415.160 million shares traded on Monday. The daily traded value on the ready counter increased to Rs 30.381 billion against previous session’s Rs 23.947 billion.

BRIndex100 soared by 203.73 points or 1.74 percent to close at 11,941.29 points with total daily turnover of 440.067 million shares.

BRIndex30 increased by 1,013.45 points or 2.93 percent to close at 35,654.05 points with total daily trading volumes of 271.718 million shares.

Foreign investors however remained net sellers of shares worth $27,421. Total market capitalization increased by Rs 173 billion to Rs 13.946 trillion. Out of total 447 active scrips, 264 closed in positive and 117 in negative while the value of 66 stocks remained unchanged.

Bank of Punjab was the volume leader with 59.148 million shares and gained Rs 0.55 to close at Rs 10.83 followed by WorldCall Telecom that inched up by Rs 0.03 to close at Rs 1.56 with 30.022 million shares. Citi Pharma increased by Rs 6.14 to close at Rs 106.56 with 21.953 million shares.

Unilever Pakistan Foods and Sapphire Textile Mills were the top gainers increasing by Rs 183.14 and Rs 34.32 respectively to close at Rs 23,415.42 and Rs 1,200.00 while Rafhan Maize Products Company and Philip Morris Pakistan were the top losers declining by Rs 124.95 and Rs 20.87 respectively to close at Rs 9,365.05 and Rs 661.61.

An analyst at Topline Securities said bulls stood firm in the trading session as the local bourse witnessed strong upward momentum, making an intraday high of 1,855 points before closing at 113,010—up by 1,632 points or 1.47 percent.

This positive trend can be attributed to the fading selling pressure from local institutions, as indicated by NCCPL data released on Monday, which allowed the market to sustain its gains. Additionally, better-than-expected corporate earnings bolstered investor confidence, driving fresh buying across key sectors.

The uptick was largely driven by strong performances from ENGROH, PPL, FFC, OGDC, and MARI, which collectively contributed plus 851 points to the index.

BR Automobile Assembler Index added 146.26 points or 0.68 percent to close at 21,760.46 points with total turnover of 26.905 million shares.

BR Cement Index increased by 269.0 points or 2.42 percent to close at 11,377.84 points with 44.341 million shares.

BR Commercial Banks Index gained 118.58 points or 0.39 percent to close at 30,441.92 points with 95.232 million shares.

BR Power Generation and Distribution Index soared by 299.61 points or 1.64 percent to close at 18,562.59 points with 22.389 million shares.

BR Oil and Gas Index surged by 374.15 points or 3.34 percent to close at 11,563.95 points with 45.379 million shares.

BR Tech. & Comm. Index inched up by 14.53 points or 0.28 percent to close at 5,241.16 points with 59.297 million shares.

Muhammad Hasan Ather at JS Global Capital said the KSE-100 Index surged 1,632 points to close at 113,010 level, driven by strong buying in key sectors such as Cement, E&Ps, and Fertilizers.

The positive momentum stems from anticipation of the MSCI review and increased foreign inflows.

Additionally, sustained higher remittances further bolstered the market sentiment. With corporate earnings and MSCI adjustments on the horizon, the market is poised for continued growth, particularly in E&Ps, Cement, and Autos.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025