Pakistan’s stock market staged a strong rally on Wednesday morning, with investors returning in large numbers as hopes grew of a possible easing in tensions between Iran and the US.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index jumped in early trading, gaining more than 4,900 points within the first hour. By 10:20am, the index was hovering around 153,657, up 4,914 points, or 3.30 percent. Shortly after, at 10:29am, it remained firmly in positive territory at 153,642, still higher by nearly 4,900 points.
Broad-based buying lifts market
The rally was driven by strong buying across key sectors. Automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, oil marketing firms, power generation and refinery stocks all saw notable interest.
Heavyweight stocks including HBL, MCB, MEBL, UBL, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, PSO, HUBCO and ARL traded in the green, helping push the index higher.
Market activity remained robust, with more than 94 million shares traded during the session so far. The index touched an intraday high of 153,759, while the day’s low stood at 151,262, showing strong upward momentum compared to the previous close of 148,743.
Active stocks and market movers
Among the most actively traded stocks, K-Electric gained to Rs7.15, while Telecard Limited also moved higher. Hascol Petroleum rose by over 4 percent, and Bank of Punjab advanced to Rs25.61. Cement stocks such as Fauji Cement and Maple Leaf Cement posted gains exceeding 5 percent, reflecting renewed interest in the sector.
Other notable gainers included WorldCall Telecom, Cnergyico and Nishat Chunian Power, all registering solid increases during early trade.
On the gaining side overall, several stocks posted sharp increases of around 10 percent or more, signalling aggressive buying in select counters. Meanwhile, some stocks faced selling pressure, with a few declining close to 10 percent, though these losses remained limited compared to the broader market strength.
Recovery builds on previous session gains
The positive momentum follows a strong recovery in the previous session on Tuesday, when the KSE-100 Index rose by about 1,900 points, closing at 148,743. That rebound had come after a series of losses, supported by fresh institutional and retail buying as well as improving macroeconomic signals.
Despite the recent gains, the market has faced pressure in 2026 so far. During the first quarter, the benchmark index declined by around 15 percent amid continued geopolitical uncertainty and persistent selling.
Global cues support sentiment
International markets also provided support to investor confidence. Asian stocks rallied on Wednesday, with a broad regional index rising sharply and snapping a losing streak.
South Korea’s Kospi surged as much as 5.5 percent, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed nearly 4 percent at one stage. The gains came after US President Donald Trump indicated that military action against Iran could wind down within weeks, raising hopes of reduced geopolitical risk.
Wall Street had already closed higher overnight, with the S&P 500 gaining nearly 3 percent as investors bet on a possible de-escalation. Oil prices, however, remained relatively stable, with Brent crude trading around $105 per barrel.
