KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange began the final working day of the week on a strong footing, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index climbing by more than 1,296 points to reach 182,555.95 in early trade.
The rebound comes after Thursday’s session, when the market closed lower at 181,259.67 points, shedding 369.69 points following a volatile day marked by heavy selling pressure.
Thursday’s decline was largely attributed to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, including fresh US strikes on Iran, which rattled investor sentiment and triggered panic selling.
Oil and gas exploration firms, OMCs, power generation companies, and refineries bore the brunt of the pressure, while rising global crude prices added to concerns. Brent crude futures settled at $78.80 per barrel and WTI at $74.26, reinforcing fears of higher input costs and inflationary pressures.
Friday’s opening session, however, reflected renewed investor confidence. Broad-based gains were seen across major indices, with the All Share Index, KSE-30, KMI-30, and BKTI all advancing. Market breadth was notably positive, with 226 companies recording gains against 44 decliners, while 294 remained unchanged.
Trading activity was brisk, with over 25 million shares changing hands in the opening minutes, valued at more than Rs 1 billion across 8,487 trades.
Analysts noted that bargain-hunting and selective buying in blue-chip stocks helped the market recover lost ground. The rebound underscores resilience in local equities despite external shocks, with investors positioning ahead of the weekend. The rally was led by energy, banking, and industrial counters, suggesting confidence in core sectors even as geopolitical risks and oil price volatility remain key concerns.
The turnaround highlights the delicate balance investors are navigating between global uncertainties and domestic fundamentals, including corporate earnings season and expectations of monetary policy stability.
The strong breadth of Friday’s advance indicates that the recovery is not confined to index-heavy stocks but reflects wider participation across the market.
