KARACHI (MNN); Strong buying interest lifted the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossing the 185,000 mark by the close of trading. Bulls dominated the session from start to finish, driving the index to an intraday peak of 185,208.98.
At the end of the session, the KSE-100 Index settled at 185,098.83, recording a sharp gain of 3,642.50 points, or 2.01 percent.
Market analysts said the rally was driven by expectations of another policy rate cut in the forthcoming meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee. Sana Tawfik, Head of Research at Arif Habib Limited, noted that fresh buying from funds and institutional investors entered the market, while selling pressure eased significantly.
She added that falling yields in the recent Pakistan Investment Bonds auction had strengthened expectations of a rate cut, which boosted investor confidence.
Buying activity was witnessed across major sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration, oil marketing companies and power generation. Heavyweight stocks such as HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, SSGC, SNGPL, MCB, MEBL, NBP and UBL closed in positive territory.
Investor sentiment was further supported by the federal government’s decision to keep petroleum prices unchanged for the next fortnight, effective January 16, 2026. High Speed Diesel will continue to be sold at Rs257.08 per litre, while petrol will remain priced at Rs253.17 per litre.
On Thursday, however, the market had ended on a negative note, as volatility and persistent selling pressure dragged the KSE-100 Index down by 1,113.48 points, or 0.61 percent, to close at 181,456.34.
