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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained firmly in positive territory by midday on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining over 2,600 points as investor sentiment stayed upbeat on optimism surrounding possible diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran.&nbsp;At 11:57am, the KSE-100 Index stood at 170,525.37 points, up 2,681.13 points or 1.6% from Friday&rsquo;s close of 167,844.24 points.&nbsp;The index touched an intraday high of 171,519.26 points and a low of 170,377.63 points during trading. Market volume reached 107.2 million shares, with traded value nearing Rs10 billion.&nbsp;Earlier in the session, the benchmark index had surged more than 3,500 points, climbing to 171,438 points at 9:30am before paring some gains.&nbsp;Buying remained broad-based across key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertilizer, oil and gas exploration firms, and oil marketing companies.&nbsp;Sana Tawfik, head of research at Arif Habib Limited, said the market was reacting positively to developments over the weekend, suggesting a possible breakthrough in talks involving the United States and Iran. &ldquo;Because of that, the market was expected to be positive today, and that is what we are seeing,&rdquo; she said. She added that the IMF&rsquo;s remarks describing Pakistan&rsquo;s economic performance as &ldquo;exceptional&rdquo; also boosted investor confidence. Tawfik said lower oil prices and improving geopolitical sentiment were among the key factors driving the rally. Investor sentiment also improved amid reports that LNG tankers were heading towards Pakistan and China from the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns over regional energy supplies.

Pakistan Stock Exchange. (File photo: APP)

Economy

At 11:57am, the KSE-100 Index stands at 170,525.37 points, up 2,681.13 points or 1.6% from Friday’s close of 167,844.24 points.


PSX up over 2,600 points as Iran-US inch toward peace agreement

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) hit a fresh all-time high, crossing the 183,000 level during the opening minutes of Monday, before the benchmark KSE-100 index settled above the 182,000 level for the first time in history.&nbsp;The market opened on a positive trajectory and maintained an upward momentum through much of the session, reaching an intraday high of 183,964.37 before easing slightly towards the end. At close, the benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at 182,408.23, an increase of 3,373.31 points, or 1.88%.&nbsp;Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, and power generation.&nbsp;Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, NBP, BOP, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, SNGPL, SSGC, HBL, MCB, MEBL, and UBL, traded in the green.&nbsp;The KSE-100 Index surged by 6,634 points, up 3.8% week-on-week, to a new all-time high of 179,035 points during the week ended on Friday.&nbsp;The index has also delivered a robust performance in calendar year 2025, posting a return of 51%, marking the third straight year of double-digit gains, following returns of 55% in calendar year 2023 and an exceptional 84% in 2024.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV, Waqas Ghani, Head of Research at JS Global, noted that Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;equity market has delivered an exceptional return of 331% over the last three years, demonstrating the country&rsquo;s resilience and potential.&rdquo;&nbsp;Citing his 2025 outlook report at JS Global, Waqas added that there is room for the KSE-100 to continue progressing, though at a moderate pace.&nbsp;In his report, he mentioned that valuations at the KSE-100 remain supportive, &ldquo;trading at a P/E of 8x,&rdquo; and anticipated that there could be some re-rating at these levels. Steady earnings growth across sectors and decent dividend yields are expected to drive returns. He projects the index to reach the 225,000 level by December 2026.&nbsp;Similarly, Arif Habib Limited has set a December 2026 target for the KSE-100 Index at 208,000 points, implying an upside of 21.6% from the closing level on 23 December 2025. &ldquo;Our index target is based on target price mapping and justified P/E,&rdquo; according to Arif Habib Limited, Pakistan Investment Strategy 2026: The Equity Edge Continues.&nbsp;The report predicts that the Pakistan Stock Exchange is expected to remain the best-performing asset class in 2026, driven by improving macroeconomic stability, easing inflationary pressures, and sustained domestic liquidity.&nbsp;It added: &ldquo;In 2026, equities remain the top choice, with the KSE-100 projected to grow by 21.60%, significantly outperforming gold (5.15%), silver (7.89%), and T-bills (10.05%),&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a report by AKD Research projected that the KSE-100 index would reach the 263,800 level, driven by further monetary easing and an improving external account position.&nbsp;The index is expected to deliver a robust return of 53% in 2026, reaching a historic market capitalization of $100 billion.&nbsp;

JS Global projects the index to reach the 225,000 level by December 2026.

Articles tagged with "PSX"

PSX up over 2,600 points as Iran-US inch toward peace agreement

PSX hit fresh all-time high, index crosses 183,000 level

PSX up over 2,600 points as Iran-US inch toward peace agreement