Pakistan’s stock market hit a historic milestone on Monday as the benchmark KSE-100 index crossed the 191,000 mark for the first time, exhibiting growing investor confidence ahead of a key monetary policy decision later in the day.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange opened firmly and extended its gains through the morning session. By noon, the KSE-100 was trading at 190,521 points, up 1,355 points or 0.72 percent from the previous close of 189,167. During mid-session trading, the index moved within a narrow band, touching an intraday high of 191,033 and a low of 189,713, suggesting steady buying rather than speculative spikes.
Market participants appeared to be positioning for a possible cut in the policy rate at the State Bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting scheduled for Monday. The benchmark rate currently stands at 10.5 percent, and expectations of easing have been fuelled by slowing inflation, rising foreign exchange reserves and a largely stable rupee.
Sentiment also improved after the government lowered cut-off yields across most tenors at its treasury bills auction on January 21. Yields falling into single digits for the first time in four years reinforced the view that borrowing costs may ease further in the coming months.
Trading activity remained strong. By midday, more than 171 million shares had changed hands, with market value turnover hovering around Rs23 billion. As trading continued into the afternoon, investors closely watched whether the index could hold its gains through the close.
By 1:25pm, the KSE-100 had pared some of its earlier advance but remained higher at 189,896 points, showing a gain of 729 points or 0.39 percent. Volumes rose sharply to around 302 million shares, highlighting sustained interest across a wide range of stocks.
On a broader view, the market has gained more than 65 percent over the past year and is up just over 9 percent so far in 2026. Over the past 52 weeks, the index has rallied from nearly 101,600 points to its new peak above 191,000.
Gains were seen in several actively traded stocks, including K-Electric, Bank of Punjab, Fauji Cement and Pakistan Telecommunication Company, while select stocks such as Kohat Cement, Pioneer Cement and some smaller names faced selling pressure as investors booked profits.
