The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened on a strong note on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining more than 900 points in early trading before giving up most of those gains.
At around 9:23am, the index had climbed 936.99 points, or 0.5 percent, to 177,528 points. By 12pm, however, the benchmark was trading at 176,621.25 points, up just 29.49 points, or 0.02 percent, from the previous close of 176,591.76.
The market moved between 176,110.75 and 177,528 points during the session, while trading volume stood at 146.71 million shares. The KSE-100 was up 18.35 percent over the past year and 1.47 percent since the start of 2026.
Buying interest was visible across several major sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil marketing companies and refineries. Heavyweight stocks such as ARL, MARI, FFC, HBL, MEBL, NBP and UBL remained in positive territory.
Among the actively traded stocks, Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) gained 6.81 percent to Rs88.35, while Cnergyico PK Limited (CNERGY) rose 3.94 percent to Rs13.71. JS Momentum Factor Exchange Traded Fund (JSMFETF) added 2.06 percent to Rs10.88, while LOTCHEM increased 1.22 percent to Rs27.34.
On the other hand, Macpac Films Limited (MACFL) dropped 9.96 percent to Rs75.00. Blue-Ex Limited (BLUEX) fell 4.60 percent to Rs7.05, while Jubilee General Insurance Company Limited (JGICL) declined 8.50 percent to Rs78.72.
The broader market also saw sharp moves among individual stocks. First Paramount Modaraba (FPRMR2) was the biggest gainer, rising 24.58 percent to Rs3.70. Several other stocks posted gains of around 10 percent.
Thursday’s session had ended on a weaker note as investors remained cautious amid geopolitical uncertainty and higher international oil prices. The KSE-100 fell 254.59 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 176,591.77.
Overseas markets also faced pressure on Friday. Most Asian share markets were heading for weekly losses as rising US Treasury yields continued to weigh on investor sentiment. At the same time, a diplomatic deadlock in the Gulf pushed oil prices to one-month highs, adding to concerns over inflation.
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