Stocks stay strong
The benchmark KSE-100 Index ended just 75.48 points, or 0.05 percent up at 147,005.32 points, as compared to the previous session closing of 146,929.98 points. The index touched an intraday peak of 147,977 points and a low of 146,895 points before ending at record close.
BRIndex100 closed at 15,035.17, down 37.65 points or 0.25 percent, with a total volume of 543.26 million shares. BRIndex30 fell 103.75 points, or 0.24 percent, to 42,521.63 points, with 259.14 million shares traded.
According to Topline Securities, gains in BAFL, HBL, and SYS added a combined 295 points to the benchmark, partly offsetting losses from FFC, MARI, OGDC, PSO, and BAHL, which together eroded 527 points — underscoring sectoral divergence and investor caution.
Market breadth remained negative, with 208 scrips advancing against 242 decliners and 32 remain unchanged in the ready market.
Turnover in the ready market rose to 691.65 million shares from 611.20 million in the previous session, while traded value inched up to Rs 44.58 billion from Rs 44.00 billion of yesterday.
Yousuf Weaving led the volumes with 46.27 million shares, closing at Rs 6.09. Kohinoor Spinning followed with 39.94 million shares at Rs 6.47, while Invest Bank finished the day at Rs 9.68 on 34.39 million shares.
Among the top gainers, PIA Holding Company surged Rs 156.85 to Rs 29,000, and Khyber Textile Mills gained Rs 69.71 to Rs 1,477. On the flip side, Nestle Pakistan fell Rs 88.57 to Rs 8,762.79, while Unilever Pakistan Foods dropped Rs 79.40 to Rs 32,020.61.
Sectoral performance was mixed — strength in banking supported the index, while oil, gas, and fertilizer stocks weighed on sentiment. The Oil and Gas sector remained under pressure amid selling in OGDC, PSO, and PPL futures.
Market capitalization edged down to Rs 17.524 trillion from Rs 17.529 trillion a day earlier, reflecting the limited net effect of the day's choppy trade.
The BR Automobile Assembler Index closed at 23,639.61 points, up 154.78 points or 0.66 percent, with a turnover of 3.12 million shares. The BR Cement Index rose 124.58 points, or 1.1 percent, to 11,483.55 points, on 41.59 million shares.
The BR Commercial Banks Index gained 269.64 points, or 0.62 percent, to close at 43,604.32 points, with 92.97 million shares traded. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index slipped 96.50 points, or 0.42 percent, to 22,765.22 points, on 35.82 million shares.
The BR Oil and Gas Index dropped 206.53 points, or 1.54 percent, to 13,197.93, with 56.19 million shares changing hands. The BR Technology & Communication Index added 32.17 points, or 0.98 percent, to 3,329.63, on 42.18 million shares.
Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said the market's strength was underpinned by a robust earnings outlook and rupee stability, while speculation over Pakistan–US trade and investment deals, government moves to secure additional export tariff incentives, and rising business confidence acted as catalysts for the record close.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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