The KSE-100 Index ended Friday’s trading session on a positive note, closing at 114,880.48 with a gain of 842.69 points or 0.74%. The market displayed resilience, touching an intraday high of 115,779.05, a rise of 1,741.26 points, before retracing slightly.
The session recorded a total trading volume of 280.35 million shares, with 53 companies closing higher, 45 lower, and two unchanged. Fertiliser and commercial banks emerged as major contributors, adding a combined 671.75 points to the index, while the oil and gas exploration sector pulled back 142.01 points.
EFUG (+5.96%), POML (+5.08%), and SNGP (+4.90%) were among the top gainers, while PIBTL (-3.57%), CNERGY (-2.77%), and AGP (-2.39%) led the laggards. The broader All-Share Index also posted gains, closing at 70,922.95 with a rise of 247.40 points or 0.35%.
Market analysts attributed the upbeat performance to optimism over potential monetary easing in the upcoming policy meeting and legislative progress. However, political uncertainties weighed on sentiment, with stalled discussions between key political parties.
Global market trends supported investor confidence, with Asian equities gaining on hopes of a US-China trade breakthrough and expectations of lower interest rates in the US. Locally, the KSE-100 Index has gained 46.45% in the fiscal year so far, while remaining down by 0.21% for the calendar year.
