The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened Thursday’s trading session on a firm footing, with buyers maintaining control in early activity as the benchmark KSE-100 Index stayed in positive territory throughout the day so far.
At 10:02am, the index was trading at around 181,869.33 points, showing an increase of 1,358.31 points. Early activity was relatively brisk, with volume recorded at 55.69 million shares as momentum built in the opening minutes.
By 12:44pm, the upward trend continued, although gains slightly trimmed. The KSE-100 Index stood at 181,683.24 points, up 1,172.22 points or 0.65 percent. Trading volume had also picked up sharply to 234.7 million shares, indicating sustained investor participation through the session.
During intraday trade, the index moved between a low of 181,087.38 points and a high of 181,869.33 points, reflecting a relatively contained range compared to the previous session. The broader 52-week range stands between 115,887.49 and 191,032.73 points, highlighting the strong long-term recovery in the market.
On a longer horizon, the market has gained 50.82 percent over the past year, while the year-to-date performance shows an increase of 4.38 percent, signalling steady though uneven progress in 2026 so far.
The previous session on Wednesday had seen a mixed mood, with profit-taking emerging after recent gains. Despite intraday volatility, the index still managed a marginal close in the green, adding 118.05 points to settle at 180,511.02.
Market participation on Thursday showed selective buying across key stocks. Active names included KEL, PAEL, BOP, MLCF and CNERGY, with movement largely driven by stock-specific interest rather than broad sector-wide momentum.
Among the top gainers, mid-cap and small-cap counters led the charge. Stocks such as GCWLR, MDTL, KML, GATM, GEMNETS and SAIF posted strong upside, with several hitting or nearing upper circuit levels during the session. Industrial and textile-related counters also showed momentum, reflecting continued speculative interest in select segments.
On the losing side, pressure was seen in ASLPS, TPLI, JVDCPS, SERT and GFIL, along with several energy and cement-related stocks. Declines remained relatively contained compared to gainers, suggesting that overall sentiment was still tilted towards buyers.
The overall tone of the market remained positive through mid-day, supported by steady volumes and selective strength in key stocks, even as investors continued to navigate stock-specific volatility within the broader upward trend.
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