KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off the New Year on a powerful note on Monday as aggressive buying by local institutional investors, particularly mutual funds, triggered a broad-based rally that pushed to fresh historic highs.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index surged by a massive 3,373.31 points, or 1.88 percent, to close at 182,408.24, after touching an intraday high of 183,964.37 and a low of 179,535.47.
On the BR index front, BRIndex100 closed at 19,568.88, registering a gain of 399.15 points, or 2.08 percent, compared to the previous close, with total volume standing at 1.027 billion shares. Meanwhile, BRIndex30 ended the session at 61,736.75, up 676.70 points, or 1.11 percent, from the previous close, with total turnover recorded at 698.87 million shares.
According to the Topline Sales Desk, the local bourse roared into 2026 on expectations of monetary easing, with aggressive buying by local mutual funds setting the tone for a decisive bullish session. Topline noted that optimism around a possible rate cut fuelled risk appetite, while the strong close near the day’s highs reflected firm investor confidence and signalled a buoyant start to the year for equities.
In terms of index contribution, UBL, HBL, ENGROH, MCB, EFERT, and FFC emerged as the top positive contributors, cumulatively adding 1,853 points to the KSE-100 Index, highlighting the dominance of banking, fertiliser, and selected energy stocks in Monday’s advance.
Trading activity strengthened markedly during the session. Ready Market turnover increased to 1.384 billion shares, compared with 1.113 billion shares in the previous session, while the total Ready Market traded value stood at Rs78.10 billion, reflecting heightened liquidity and investor engagement.
Market breadth figures reinforced the positive undertone. In the Ready Market, 256 companies advanced, 197 declined, and 30 remained unchanged, out of 483 traded companies.
In the Ready Market, trading activity remained heavily concentrated in a few high-volume names. Bank of Punjab led the turnover chart, with 95.46 million shares traded, closing at Rs43.09. Pak International Bulk Terminal followed closely, recording a turnover of 79.72 million shares, as the stock rallied sharply to close at Rs21.78. Meanwhile, K-Electric Limited also attracted substantial investor interest, with 75.18 million shares changing hands; however, the stock closed marginally lower at Rs6.34.
On the price movement front, PIA Holding Company Limited (B) emerged as the top gainer, surging by Rs1,408.26 to close at Rs25,052.36, while Indus Motor Company added Rs55.04. On the losing side, Unilever Pakistan Foods shed Rs91.99, and Rafhan Maize Products declined by Rs82.55.
Activity in the derivatives segment remained robust.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 25,395.04, posting a net gain of 512.13 points, or 2.06 percent, with total turnover of 5.857 million shares. The BR Cement Index ended the session at 13,915.09, up 168.30 points, or 1.22 percent, on a volume of 57.792 million shares.
The BR Commercial Banks Index emerged as the leading sectoral performer, closing at 56,875.20, recording a sharp increase of 1,966.17 points, or 3.58 percent, with total turnover of 187.47 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index closed at 27,948.29, up 313.32 points, or 1.13 percent, with turnover of 132.286 million shares.
Meanwhile, the BR Oil and Gas Index settled at 15,428.34, advancing 80.67 points, or 0.53 percent, on volumes of 105.93 million shares, while the BR Technology and Communication Index closed at 4,323.45, gaining 20.48 points, or 0.48 percent, with total turnover of 250.32 million shares.
Overall, Monday’s session underscored a decisive return of bullish momentum at the PSX, as expectations of monetary easing, strong institutional buying, and banking-led gains drove indices to uncharted territory, setting an upbeat tone for equities at the start of 2026.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments