PSX Rally Pushes KSE-100 to Record Intraday High
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its strong bullish trend on Friday, with the KSE-100 Index crossing the 140,000 milestone during the early half of the trading session.
The index surged to an intraday high of 140,585.38 points, driven by institutional buying, renewed interest in blue-chip stocks, and positive investor sentiment.
⚠️ Profit-Taking Trims Gains Mid-Session
Despite the early rally, profit-taking activity reduced most of the gains. By 12 PM, the index was hovering near 138,788.46, up 122.97 points or 0.09% from the previous close.
🔍 Key Sectors See Buying Activity
Strong buying was seen in the following high-weight sectors:
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Automobile Assemblers
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Commercial Banks
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Oil and Gas Exploration Companies
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Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs)
Top-performing stocks included MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, ARL, MCB, MEBL, and UBL, all trading in the green.
📊 Analysts Expect Rally to Continue
Market analysts believe that the bullish trend will likely continue, supported by positive economic indicators and anticipation around the upcoming earnings season.
“Momentum should persist, though occasional dips due to profit-taking are expected as the market enters a consolidation phase,” said Sana Tawfik, Head of Research at Arif Habib Limited.
🔁 Recap: Thursday’s Surge
On Thursday, the PSX closed at a new all-time high of 138,665.50, after adding 2,285 points or 1.68%, continuing its recent rally.
🌏 Global Markets Update
International stock markets also showed strength:
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Asian shares rose as US economic data and strong corporate earnings lifted confidence despite global tariff concerns.
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The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index (ex-Japan) gained 0.8%, reaching its highest level since late 2021, and was up 1.7% for the week.
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The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs, backed by strong retail sales and jobless claim data.
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Netflix beat earnings estimates but saw its share price dip 1.8% in after-hours trading due to pre-priced growth.
🇯🇵 Japan Market Update
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Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2%
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The yen fell to 148.54 per US dollar, down 0.7% for the week
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Polls showed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s coalition at risk of losing majority in the upcoming election
📝 Summary
The KSE-100 Index hitting 140,000 is a clear signal of investor confidence and market strength in Pakistan. While short-term corrections may occur, analysts see the upward trend continuing, especially with the corporate earnings season just around the corner.
