RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange roared back to life on Thursday as bullish momentum dominated the trading floor. This sharp surge came on the heels of a surprise tweet by US President Donald Trump, who announced what he described as a historic trade deal with Pakistan.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index went up by a remarkable 978 points equivalent to a 0.71 percent increase to close at 139,390.42 points as compared to the previous close of 138,412.25 points on Wednesday. The index briefly touched a low of 139,083.74 points earlier in the session, and then touched an intraday high of 140,215.22 points.

On Thursday, BRIndex100 closed the day at 14,174.08 points which was 52.01 points or 0.37 percent higher than previous close with the total volume remaining 434.397 million shares. Meanwhile, BRIndex30 finished at 39,582.24 points which was 415.13 points or 1.06 percent higher than the previous close and the total volume was 232.134 million shares.

According to Topline Securities, the bulls stormed back to the trading floor today, fueled by a surge of optimism after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly tweeted about striking a “historic” trade deal with Pakistan. The announcement — aimed at boosting bilateral trade, expanding market access, and drawing significant U.S. investment — ignited a broad-based rally across the bourse.

Adding further momentum, the brokerage house noted, was the news of a strategic partnership to explore and develop Pakistan’s vast untapped oil reserves, a move seen as a potential game-changer for the nation’s energy landscape.

Market breadth also leaned in favor of the bulls. In the ready market, 235 stocks advanced while 215 declined while 33 remained unchanged in the total of 483 active companies.

The turnover in the ready market surged to 577.3 million shares, a sharp increase from 425.8 million shares traded a day earlier. The traded value also experienced a notable spike. From Rs 25 billion on the previous day, the total value of transactions climbed to Rs 36.3 billion on Thursday, marking an increase of over 45 percent.

In tandem with these gains, market capitalization posted a healthy rise as well. From Rs 16.60 trillion in the previous session, it advanced to approximately Rs 16.70 trillion — adding about Rs 100 billion in a single trading day. This uptick reflected widespread appreciation in share prices.

Bank of Punjab led the market in terms of turnover, with a substantial volume of 82.9 million shares traded. The stock closed at Rs 14.06, registering a modest gain during the session. Invest Bank followed with a turnover of 37.1 million shares, closing at Rs 8.99. Taking the third spot, Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) recorded a turnover of 24.2 million shares and closed significantly higher at Rs 233.01, reflecting strong investor interest amid bullish sentiment in the energy sector.

Among the companies reflecting the most notable increase in rates, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited led the chart with an impressive gain of Rs 477.94, closing at Rs 33,497.96. Pakistan Services Limited also saw a notable upswing, adding Rs 36.02 to close at Rs 1,015.01. On the other end of the spectrum, PIA Holding Company Limited-B topped the list of companies reflecting a decrease in rates, with a sharp decline of Rs 2,542.49, ending the day at Rs 28,756.51. Meanwhile, S.S. Oil Mills Limited shed Rs 60.84, closing at Rs 730.24.

The BR Automobile Assembler Index ended the session at 23,128.79 points, posting a gain of 55.05 points, or 0.24 percent, with a total turnover of approximately 3.21 million shares. The BR Cement Index closed higher at 10,727.90 points, rising by 40.5 points, or 0.38 percent, as around 16.16 million shares changed hands during the day.

The BR Commercial Banks Index finished marginally up at 40,358.34 points, recording an increase of 18.45 points, or 0.05 percent, on a substantial volume of nearly 115.15 million shares. The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index settled at 21,265.80 points, up 63.93 points, or 0.3 percent, with total turnover reaching about 24.83 million shares.

The BR Oil and Gas Index saw a robust advance, climbing 336.5 points to close at 12,284.54 points, marking a 2.82 percent gain with a turnover of approximately 78.59 million shares. Meanwhile, the BR Technology and Communication Index registered the strongest percentage gain, closing at 3,281.20 points, up 142.19 points, or 4.53 percent, with total traded volume exceeding 53.12 million shares.

According to Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation, the bullish momentum was primarily driven by the announcement of a new trade agreement between Pakistan and the United States—an event that not only promised expanded bilateral trade but also affirmed a strategic partnership to explore Pakistan’s untapped oil reserves. Mehanti noted that this reaffirmation of ties, particularly in the energy sector, gave investors a strong reason to reposition themselves in exploration and production stocks, many of which led the market’s rally. He explained that beyond the headline trade deal, a stable exchange rate and a noticeable surge in Pakistan’s sovereign bond prices further reinforced investor confidence. These gains, he added, were catalyzed by the recent credit ratings upgrade by S&P’s, which signaled improving macroeconomic fundamentals.