The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed slightly in positive territory on Thursday, driven by selective buying in key blue-chip shares amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index rose 276.16 points (+0.16%) to 169,703.60, fluctuating between an intraday high of 170,138.19 and low of 168,682.25. Market volatility persisted throughout the session as global tensions continued to weigh on investor sentiment.
BRIndex100 advanced to 18,725.11 (+0.12%) with 565.00 million shares traded, while BRIndex30 dipped slightly by 70.45 points (-0.10%) to 68,085.45 despite 345.90 million shares volume.
Topline Securities highlighted that major contributors to the index’s gain included Meezan Bank (MEBL), Mari Energies (MARI), Engro Holdings (ENGROH), United Bank (UBL), and Pakistan Oilfields (POL), which collectively added 315 points to the benchmark.
Regular market activity remained robust, with turnover reaching 771.93 million shares and traded value increasing to Rs27.05 billion from Rs25.48 billion previously. Total market capitalization climbed to Rs18.877 trillion, reflecting a Rs28.23 billion boost in investor wealth due to selective buying in blue-chip stocks.
Market breadth showed mixed performance, with 190 companies advancing, 250 declining, and 47 remaining unchanged out of 487 traded firms. Trading activity was concentrated in high-liquidity stocks, led by First National Equities (118.36 million shares) and Sitara Petroleum (53.70 million shares).
On the gainers’ board, Sapphire Fibres (Rs1,102.46) and Tandlianwala Sugar Mills (Rs513.04) led the charge, while Khyber Textile Mills fell sharply by Rs50.36 to Rs1,464.21 and Blessed Textiles dropped Rs43.19 to Rs1,129.29.
Sectoral performance varied, with the BR Commercial Banks Index rising 0.52% (294.62 points) and BR Oil & Gas Index advancing 0.38% (56.25 points). Conversely, the BR Automobile Assembler Index declined 0.37% (101.29 points) and BR Power Generation Index fell 0.42% (115.66 points).
Analysts attributed the market’s resilience to institutional confidence in fundamentally strong equities. Investors are advised to monitor geopolitical developments, oil prices, and policy announcements that could impact market direction in upcoming sessions.
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