PSX sets new record with KSE-100 index climbing above 169,600

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its record-breaking streak on Friday, opening the last trading session of the week on a strong note as the benchmark KSE-100 index surged past 169,000 points in early deals.

The market started the day 551.78 points higher at 169,041.4, and within minutes extended its gains. By 9:17 AM, the index touched 169,193.38, reflecting an intraday increase of 703.76 points. At 9:34 AM, the index was seen hovering around 169,007.04, up 517.42 points or 0.31 percent, supported by healthy investor interest and rising volumes.

The rally did not stop there. By 9:43 AM, the market soared to a fresh record, climbing 1,152.62 points to 169,642.24, with trading volumes swelling to over 127 million shares.

A week of new records

The latest rally pushed the KSE-100 further into uncharted territory, with the index crossing the 169,000 mark for the first time in history. As of the morning session, today’s day range was between 168,613.41 and 169,642.24. Over the past year, the index has more than doubled, showing a 104.31 percent increase, while year-to-date gains stand at 46.80 percent.

In comparison, the previous session on Thursday also ended on a strong note, with the index closing at 168,489.62 after adding 2,849.29 points. That session had seen a wide intraday range of over 3,000 points, while banks and oil stocks provided the strongest support.

Top movers in early trade

Among today’s top gainers were several names hitting double-digit percentage increases. Escorts Bank Limited (ESBL) advanced 11.01 percent to Rs7.26, while Ansari Sugar Mills (ANSM) climbed 10.01 percent to Rs19.02. Adamjee Insurance (AICL), First Elite Modaraba (FEM), and Ghandhara Leasing (GLPL) also posted 10 percent gains each. Dawood Hercules Corporation (DMC) rose by 10 percent to Rs147.10, while Kohat Paper (KOHP) added nearly 8 percent.

On the losing side, Hussain Industries (HUSI) shed 10.01 percent, falling to Rs27.15. Pakistan General Insurance (PKGI) slipped 8.71 percent to Rs9.64, while Quetta Textile (QUET) lost over 6 percent.

Sectoral and stock-wise trends

Sector-wise, early strength was again seen in commercial banks, oil and gas marketing, and fertiliser shares. Bank of Punjab (BOP) gained 6.77 percent to Rs35, while Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTC) rose almost 4 percent. Among large-cap names, Honda Atlas Cars (HCAR) and Attock Petroleum (APL) also showed notable strength.

Some heavyweights, however, faced profit-taking. Unilever Pakistan Foods dropped 1.92 percent to Rs31,351, while Meezan Bank fell 1.52 percent to Rs477. Big banks such as MCB and UBL also edged lower in early dealings, trimming some of the index’s intraday gains.

Despite the mixed moves across individual stocks, the broader momentum remained positive, with fresh highs reflecting strong market sentiment. Traders pointed out that the persistent rally was fuelled by improving liquidity, optimism over economic indicators, and continued foreign inflows into local equities.

Web Desk