The Pakistan Stock Exchange bounced back strongly on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index gaining more than 1,000 points after a steep fall in the previous session.
The KSE-100 index climbed 1,021.39 points, or 0.61%, to close at 169,043.19 points. The market had ended Wednesday at 168,021.80 points after losing more than 1,370 points.
Trading remained volatile during the day. The index fell to 168,222.91 points in early trading before buying interest returned and pushed it to an intraday high of 169,576.52 points.
Large-cap stocks led the recovery, with buying seen across several major sectors. Pakistan Petroleum was among the biggest contributors to the index, while United Bank, Murree Energies, Bank Alfalah and Habib Bank also supported the market.
The buying was not broad-based across all major stocks. National Bank, Fauji Fertilizer, Pakistan Services and Engro Fertilizer remained under pressure during the session.
Trading activity was also substantial. A total of 386.36 million shares changed hands in the overall market, with the value of traded shares reaching Rs20.09 billion. Shares of 296 companies closed higher, while 152 declined and 123 remained unchanged.
Other major market indices also ended the session in positive territory. The All-Share Index gained 687.69 points to close at 102,244.62 points. The KSE-30 Index rose 306.30 points to 50,297.78 points, while the KMI-30 Index increased 1,662.76 points to settle at 240,616.55 points.
The recovery came as global oil prices eased, while changing concerns surrounding the Middle East situation also influenced investor sentiment. Lower crude prices are particularly important for Pakistan because they can reduce pressure on the country’s import bill and external account.
Despite Thursday’s strong rebound, the broader market trend remains under pressure. The KSE-100 is still down 2.88% since the start of the year, meaning the latest gain marks a recovery from the previous session rather than a reversal of the year’s overall performance.
