KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed an electrifying opening session on Wednesday, with all major indices soaring amid a rare confluence of positive developments at home and abroad, in the backdrop of a Pakistan‑brokered ceasefire between the United States and Iran early Wednesday morning — a breakthrough acknowledged by the United Nations and welcomed by world leaders.
Trading began with extraordinary momentum, lifting the benchmark KSE-100 Index by 12,362 points (7.54%) to 164,035, while the KSE-30 jumped 4,019 points (8.04%). The All-Share Index rose 6,577 points (6.76%), and the KMI-30 gained 19,285 points (8.00%), reflecting broad-based investor confidence.
The Banking Index climbed 3,600 points (7.96%). Market breadth was overwhelmingly positive, with 364 symbols advancing against just 12 declines, underscoring the strength of sentiment. Trading volume crossed 131 million shares, with a value of Rs8.8 billion across 37,672 trades, before the session was suspended following the extraordinary rally.
The surge was driven by a string of encouraging developments with Pakistan’s successful brokering of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States — acknowledged by the United Nations and welcomed by world leaders — eased regional tensions and reassured investors.
A sharp drop in global oil prices raised hopes of reduced import costs and inflationary relief, while domestic traders expressed confidence that easing inflation could bolster consumer demand and corporate earnings. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz further reassured global trade flows, strengthening Pakistan’s economic outlook.
Analysts described the rally as a rare moment of collective optimism, noting that nearly every sector participated in the upswing. The advance–decline ratio, they said, reflected renewed investor faith in Pakistan’s economic trajectory.
