Pakistan equities opened the week on a strong footing, with buying interest lifting the benchmark index sharply in early trade on Monday.
The KSE-100 Index surged by more than 4,000 points within the first hour, reflecting renewed confidence among investors after last week’s heavy losses. By around 10:34am, the index had climbed to 167,078, gaining 4,084 points, or 2.51 percent.
Market participants said the rally was driven by optimism over possible easing in global energy tensions, even as geopolitical risks remained in focus. Some investors appeared to be positioning ahead of any positive developments, particularly in energy supply routes.
Buying was visible across several key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration firms, oil marketing companies, power producers and refineries. Major index movers such as Attock Refinery, Hub Power, Mari Energies, OGDC, Pakistan Petroleum, Pakistan Oilfields, Habib Bank, MCB Bank, National Bank and UBL all traded higher during the session.
Momentum remained strong shortly after the open. By around 10:39am, the index had extended gains to over 4,250 points, reaching about 167,245, with traded volumes crossing 102 million shares.
As trading progressed, some profit-taking trimmed gains, though the market stayed firmly in positive territory. By 1:04pm, the KSE-100 Index was at 165,951, up 2,957 points or 1.81 percent. During the session, the index moved within a range of 164,713 to 167,245.
Overall market activity remained robust, with total traded volume exceeding 223 million shares. Despite the day’s gains, the index is still down about 4.66 percent so far this year, though it has risen over 45 percent compared to the same period last year.
Among actively traded stocks, Sui Southern Gas Company stood out with a sharp 10 percent increase in its share price. Other names attracting investor interest included Hascol Petroleum, Cnergyico, Bank of Punjab, WorldCall Telecom, Engro Holdings, Unity Foods, K-Electric and Crescent Star Insurance.
Several companies hit their upper price limits during the session, including Macpac Films, Mitchell’s Fruit Farms, Quice Food Industries, GEMMEL, Security Papers, Amreli Steels, Arpak International, Netsol Technologies, Balochistan Glass and Feroze1888 Mills.
On the flip side, stocks such as Ashfaq Textile, JSM Limited, JDW Sugar Mills preference shares, Shabbir Tiles, Artistic Denim, Data Textiles, Pioneer Cement, Sazgar Engineering, Sitara Peroxide and Javedan Corporation came under selling pressure and posted notable declines.
The rebound follows a difficult previous week, when the market remained under pressure due to rising geopolitical tensions and tighter financial conditions. The KSE-100 Index had dropped by 4.5 percent over the week, losing nearly 7,700 points to close at 162,994.
Global cues offered mixed support. Asian markets edged higher on Monday, while oil prices showed little movement as investors tracked developments in the Middle East. Reports suggested limited progress in efforts to ease tensions in the region, which helped calm some nerves in financial markets.
Crude prices remained stable, with Brent trading around $108 per barrel and US crude near $102. Market participants also kept an eye on shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz after recent security concerns, as any disruption there could impact global energy supply and, in turn, investor sentiment.
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