KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off 2026 with a resounding surge, as broad-based buying drove all major indices higher marking a confident and bullish start to the New Year.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index registered a sharp gain of 2,301.17 points, or 1.32 percent, to close at 176,355.49 points, compared with 174,054.32 points in the previous session. The index moved within a wide intraday range, touching a high of 176,658.39 points and a low of 174,437.70 points, reflecting sustained bullish momentum throughout the trading day.
On Thursday, BRIndex100 closed at 18,807.52 points, up by 261.12 points or 1.41 percent from the previous close, with a total trading volume of 1.123 billion shares. Meanwhile, BRIndex30 gained 551.87 points, or 0.92 percent, to settle at 60,323.17 points, while total volume on the index stood at 847.66 million shares.
Commenting on market performance, Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, said the new year kicked off on a strong note, reflecting continued investor optimism. He noted that the rally was primarily driven by buying from local institutions at the start of the calendar year, owing to fresh allocations towards PSX, which has remained a preferred asset class since mid-2023 following Pakistan’s entry into the IMF programme. According to him, UBL, OGDC, ENGROH, HBL, LUCK, and BAHL collectively contributed around 1,207 points to the benchmark index.
Total market capitalization increased to Rs19.97 trillion, up from Rs19.69 trillion in the previous session, translating into a gain of approximately Rs278.53 billion, largely driven by gains in heavyweight banking, energy, and power sector stocks.
Trading activity improved significantly in the regular market, where total volume jumped to 1.402 billion shares, compared with 957.24 million shares recorded in the previous session. The total value of shares traded in the ready market rose to Rs48.42 billion, from Rs 44.23 billion earlier.
Market breadth remained firmly positive. In the ready market, 337 companies closed higher, 116 declined, and 32 remained unchanged, out of a total of 485 traded companies.
Among ready-market volume leaders, K-Electric Limited topped the chart with a turnover of 372.71 million shares, closing at Rs 6.47. Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Limited followed with 139.94 million shares traded, closing at Rs 20.03, while Bank of Punjab ranked third, ending at Rs 40.34 on a volume of 55.42 million shares.
On the price-movement front in the ready market, PIA Holding Company Limited (B) emerged as the top gainer, rising by Rs 1,954.06 to close at Rs 21,494.64, followed by Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited, which gained Rs57.08 to settle at Rs1,598.76. On the losing side, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited declined by Rs138.95 to close at Rs28,850.05, while Service Industries Limited shed Rs27.53 to end at Rs1,547.47.
In sector-wise performance, the BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 24,670.07 points, posting a net gain of 210.80 points, or 0.86 percent, with a total turnover of 2.11 million shares. The BR Cement Index settled at 13,839.19 points, up by 109.07 points, or 0.79 percent, as total volume stood at 28.86 million shares.
The BR Commercial Banks Index closed at 53,677.36 points, registering a net increase of 1,236.97 points, or 2.36 percent, with a turnover of 93.13 million shares. Meanwhile, the BR Power Generation and Distribution Index ended the session at 27,531.28 points, up by 180.34 points, or 0.66 percent, with total traded volume of 404.05 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index closed at 15,040.52 points, advancing 116.76 points, or 0.78 percent, on a turnover of 39.21 million shares. In contrast, the BR Technology and Communication Index was the lone decliner among major sectors, closing at 4,294.75 points, down by 8.38 points, or 0.19 percent, despite recording a total volume of 153.65 million shares.
Overall, the first trading session of 2026 reflected strong investor confidence, marked by broad-based index gains, rising market capitalization, improved liquidity across market segments, and a decisive dominance of advancing stocks, signaling a robust start to the New Year at the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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