The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) staged a strong rebound on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining more than 1,300 points.
Buying interest returned across several major sectors, while heavyweights also supported the market’s early advance. At 11:02am, the KSE-100 Index stood at 178,189.99 points, marking a gain of 1,343.63 points, or 0.76 percent.
The early recovery came after the market closed lower during the previous session. Investors also continued to monitor developments in global energy markets.
Key Sectors Drive KSE-100 Gains
Buying activity remained visible across several important sectors during early trading.
Automobile assemblers, cement companies, commercial banks and oil and gas exploration firms attracted investor interest.
Oil marketing companies and power generation companies also traded positively.
Meanwhile, several index-heavy stocks moved into positive territory and supported the benchmark’s rise.
These included HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, PSO, HBL, MCB, MEBL and NBP.
The broad-based buying helped the KSE-100 recover some of the ground lost during Wednesday’s session.
PSX Had Closed Lower on Wednesday
The latest rise follows a difficult session for the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
On Wednesday, the KSE-100 Index dropped 1,109.15 points, or 0.62 percent, to close at 176,846.36 points.
Selling pressure emerged after reports indicated that the petroleum ministry was discussing a possible diesel price reduction with local refineries.
As a result, energy stocks came under pressure during the session.
Continued volatility in international energy markets also affected investor sentiment.
However, Thursday’s early trading showed renewed buying interest across major market segments.
Oil Prices Remain in Focus
Meanwhile, international oil prices remained relatively steady during early Thursday trading.
Investors continued assessing the outlook for the US-Iran war and potential risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures for October delivery gained 25 cents, or 0.3 percent, reaching $91.87 per barrel by 0037 GMT.
At the same time, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for September slipped 2 cents to $85.81 per barrel.
The more actively traded October WTI contract, meanwhile, rose 14 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $84.53 per barrel.
Global oil movements remain important for investors because energy prices can influence market sentiment and Pakistan’s economic outlook.
For now, the strong opening suggests that investors have returned to buying major stocks. However, market direction remains sensitive to developments in energy prices and broader economic conditions.
