KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a powerful bullish session on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, coupled with a sharp decline in global oil prices, triggered aggressive buying across the board and significantly lifted investor sentiment.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index surged by 6,962.29 points or 4.23 percent to close at 171,704.76 points, compared to the previous close of 164,742.47 points. The index touched an intraday high of 172,088.58 points and a low of 167,354.44 points, reflecting strong upward momentum throughout the session.
The BRIndex100 closed at 18,908.01 points, gaining 900.30 points or 5.00 percent, with total volume recorded at 864.29 million shares. The BRIndex30 surged by 4,439.95 points or 6.99 percent to close at 67,988.22 points, with total volume of 572.13 million shares.
According to Topline Securities, the rally was primarily fueled by renewed optimism after US President Donald Trump signaled progress on a potential Iran deal, easing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. This positive narrative was further reinforced after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated Trump’s leadership and de-escalation efforts, strengthening investor confidence.
Additionally, a notable decline in international oil prices acted as a key catalyst by easing concerns over Pakistan’s external account and inflation outlook, encouraging broad-based accumulation in cyclical sectors.
Topline Securities noted that heavyweight stocks including UBL, LUCK, FFC, PPL, OGDC and ENGROH led the rally, collectively contributing 2,920 points to the benchmark index.
Market activity remained robust, with total ready market turnover rising sharply to 1,202.17 million shares compared to 453.22 million shares in the previous session. The traded value in the ready market increased significantly to Rs 63.00 billion from Rs 22.79 billion, indicating strong participation from investors.
The overall market capitalization expanded substantially to Rs18.89 trillion, up from Rs18.17 trillion, reflecting a gain of approximately Rs720 billion in a single session.
Market breadth remained strongly positive, as out of 489 companies traded in the ready market, 395 closed in the green, 67 declined, while 27 remained unchanged.
Among individual stocks, Hascol Petroleum emerged as the volume leader with 103.47 million shares traded, closing at Rs 22.69. K-Electric followed with 80.51 million shares, closing at Rs 7.99, while Bank of Punjab recorded turnover of 68.05 million shares, closing at Rs 36.54.
In terms of price movement, PIA Holding Company LimitedB recorded a significant increase of Rs 296.00 to close at Rs 17,001.00, while Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited gained Rs 137.58 to settle at Rs 26,266.67. On the downside, The Premier Sugar Mills declined by Rs 34.51 to close at Rs 511.45, while Faisal Spinning Mills Limited fell by Rs 18.70 to Rs 340.49.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index rose by 834.49 points or 3.23 percent to close at 26,680.68 points, with turnover of 5.00 million shares. The BR Cement Index recorded a strong gain of 870.23 points or 7.98 percent to settle at 11,779.61 points, with volume of 94.09 million shares.
The BR Commercial Banks Index advanced by 2,547.33 points or 4.55 percent to close at 58,471.36 points, with turnover of 114.27 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index increased by 879.83 points or 3.19 percent to settle at 28,487.63 points, with traded volume of 116.48 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index climbed by 621.74 points or 4.32 percent to close at 15,015.06 points, recording turnover of 186.75 million shares. Meanwhile, the BR Tech & Communication Index gained 173.57 points or 4.88 percent to settle at 3,727.43 points, with volume of 131.98 million shares.
The session’s performance underscores a decisive shift in sentiment, with geopolitical easing and falling oil prices acting as key drivers. Analysts expect that continued progress on US–Iran negotiations and stability in global energy markets will remain crucial in determining the near-term trajectory of the market.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026