RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange extended its bullish momentum on Tuesday, with the Index rallying strongly as investors built fresh positions across major sectors and overall market activity rose sharply.

The benchmark index advanced 1,153.14 points, an increase of 0.69 percent, to close at 169,456.39, compared to the previous close of 168,303.25. During the session, the index touched an intraday high of 169,601.04 and a low of 168,880.22, before settling at a fresh all-time closing high.

BRIndex100 closed at 17,862.88, gaining 113.03 points or 0.64 percent, on a turnover of 821.36 million shares. BRIndex30 settled at 57,979.54, up 328.33 points or 0.57 percent, with 518.83 million shares traded.

Market participants noted that Tuesday’s rally was driven by a combination of domestic and external triggers. According to Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, the strong upward momentum persisted as the benchmark closed at a fresh all-time high. He pointed out that the key catalyst behind the day’s performance was the IMF Executive Board’s approval of immediate disbursements totaling USD 1.2 billion under the EFF and RSF, which boosted investor sentiment.

He also highlighted that remittances rose 9 percent year-on-year to USD 3.19 billion in November 2025, though they fell 7 percent month-on-month, while inflows for the first five months of FY26 increased 9 percent year-on-year to USD 16.14 billion.

Najib added that PSO gained traction on reports that the ECC may approve enhanced profit margins for OMCs and petroleum dealers, and noted that FFC, LUCK, HBL, PSO and MLCF collectively contributed 641 points to the index, while TRG, OGDC, PTC, NBP and MEBL collectively shaved off 189 points.

Trading activity picked up significantly. Ready market volume rose to 1.03 billion shares, compared to 783 million in the previous session, while traded value increased to Rs51.31 billion. Market capitalization rose by nearly Rs128 billion, closing at Rs19.27 trillion.

K-Electric once again led the session with 86.73 million shares, closing at Rs5.74. Bunnys Limited followed with 62.06 million shares, though it closed slightly lower at Rs14.22. PIA Holding Company sustained strong investor interest, closing at Rs47.63 on 41.20 million shares.

Large-cap price movements remained notable. Unilever Pakistan Foods emerged as one of the strongest performers, rising Rs211.64 to close at Rs28,899. PIA Holding Company-B surged Rs63.01 to Rs24,000.01. Decliners included Bhanero Textile Mills, down Rs32.00 to Rs836.74, and National Silk & Rayon Mills, which fell Rs17.84 to Rs186.52.

The BR Automobile Assembler Index ended at 24,277.74, rising 47.88 points or 0.20 percent, with 2.17 million shares traded. The BR Cement Index posted one of the strongest recoveries of the day, closing at 13,943.05 after adding 254.02 points or 1.86 percent, backed by strong turnover of 75.46 million shares.

The BR Commercial Banks Index advanced to 49,496.55, gaining 239.09 points or 0.49 percent, on 93.38 million shares. The BR Power Generation & Distribution Index rose to 26,833.31, up 397.83 points or 1.50 percent, driven by turnover of 126.06 million shares.

The BR Oil & Gas Index improved to 14,635.38, gaining 83.79 points or 0.58 percent, with 35.60 million shares traded. The BR Tech & Communication Index, however, closed lower at 4,081.42, down 38.89 points or 0.94 percent, though it recorded the highest sectoral turnover of the day at 148.94 million shares.

With stronger inflows, improved breadth and sustained interest across key sectors, the PSX closed the session on a firm footing. Market participants expect sentiment to remain constructive as the year-end approaches, supported by easing macro anxieties and improved foreign flows.