The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained in positive territory on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining more than 800 points during the session before giving up most of those gains.
At around 2:08pm, the index stood at 171,161.80 points, up 277.22 points, or 0.16 percent, from the previous close of 170,884.58.
The KSE-100 had moved between an intraday low of 170,902.75 and a high of 171,732.62. Trading volume stood at about 78.28 million shares.
Buying interest was visible across several key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement companies, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration firms, oil marketing companies and refineries.
Index-heavy stocks such as HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, PSO, SSGC, NBP and UBL were trading in positive territory, helping support the benchmark.
Several smaller stocks also recorded strong gains. TISL rose 19.90 percent to Rs4.88, while DWSM gained 12.99 percent to Rs6.70. MDTL increased 11.63 percent to Rs9.60 and FNEL climbed 10.91 percent to Rs1.22.
Other notable gainers included PASM, BPL, DFSM, CLVL, QUICE and DMC, all of which advanced by around 10 percent or more.
On the other hand, GEMMEL fell 9.72 percent to Rs39.01, while ARMG declined 8.56 percent to Rs51.06. PKGI, SHJS and PIM also remained among the major decliners.
The latest movement comes after a volatile week at the PSX. The KSE-100 gained 372.73 points, or 0.22 percent, last week to close at 170,884.59 points, as investors remained cautious amid geopolitical tensions and concerns over regional energy supplies.
Higher international and domestic oil prices also weighed on sentiment, limiting gains in the local market.
Regional markets provided a more supportive backdrop on Monday. Asian shares moved higher as strong demand linked to artificial intelligence supported chipmakers, while oil prices eased on signs that more crude was reaching markets despite the ongoing conflict in the Gulf.
US and European equity futures also remained positive, although bond markets stayed under pressure. US two-year Treasury yields have climbed sharply in recent weeks, while expectations of further interest rate tightening by the Federal Reserve have added to global market uncertainty.
Trading at the PSX remains ongoing, with the final direction of the KSE-100 set to depend on market activity in the remaining part of the session.
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