RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) staged a powerful recovery on Friday, with the benchmark as investor confidence strengthened after reports that US President Donald Trump had deferred a decision on possible military action against Iran, easing fears of an imminent regional escalation.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 2,696.30 points, or 1.59 percent, to close at 172,399.90 points compared to the previous close of 169,703.60 points. The index touched an intraday high of 173,093.46 points and a low of 170,946.54 points, reflecting strong buying interest throughout the trading session.

BRIndex100 closed at 19,068.90 points, up 343.79 points, or 1.84 percent, with total volume of 631.60 million shares. BRIndex30 gained 1,108.57 points, or 1.63 percent, to close at 69,194.02 points with turnover of 402.34 million shares.

Commenting on the market performance, Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Limited, said investor sentiment improved significantly amid easing geopolitical concerns after reports that President Trump had delayed potential military action against Iran, allowing additional time for diplomatic negotiations.

He noted that the development boosted risk appetite and triggered broad-based buying across key sectors. According to him, Lucky Cement, Hub Power Company, Engro Holdings, United Bank Limited and Meezan Bank collectively contributed 1,048 points to the benchmark index’s gain.

The rally also translated into a substantial increase in overall market capitalization. Total market capitalization expanded to Rs19.120 trillion from Rs18.877 trillion recorded a day earlier, reflecting an increase of approximately Rs243.45 billion in investors’ wealth during the session.

Trading activity remained exceptionally strong. In the ready market, total turnover increased to 890.80 million shares from 771.93 million shares in the previous session, while traded value rose sharply to Rs41.99 billion compared to Rs27.05 billion.

Market breadth strongly favored the bulls. Out of 488 companies traded in the ready market, 282 closed higher, 167 declined and 39 remained unchanged.

On the volume leaders’ chart, Kohinoor Spinning Mills emerged as the most actively traded stock with turnover of 57.75 million shares and closed at Rs5.88. The Bank of Punjab followed with 52.92 million shares and settled at Rs34.61, while Sitara Petroleum traded 52.65 million shares and closed at Rs22.11.

On the gainers’ board, Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited led the market by adding Rs68.00 to close at Rs25,868.00, followed by Sapphire Fibres Limited, which gained Rs44.86 to settle at Rs1,147.32.

Among the major losers, Khairpur Sugar Mills Limited declined by Rs14.08 to close at Rs2,420.59, while Kohat Textile Mills Limited shed Rs13.49 to finish at Rs121.46.

Sector-wise, the BR Automobile Assembler Index rose by 289.83 points, or 1.07 percent, to close at 27,387.38 points on turnover of 4.29 million shares. The BR Cement Index posted one of the strongest gains, advancing 476.62 points, or 4.02 percent, to 12,324.11 points with turnover of 99.37 million shares.

The BR Commercial Banks Index increased by 882.88 points, or 1.55 percent, to settle at 57,686.76 points on turnover of 73.52 million shares.

The BR Power Generation and Distribution Index gained 777.62 points, or 2.84 percent, to close at 28,201.31 points with volume of 33.62 million shares.

The BR Oil and Gas Index advanced 126.84 points, or 0.85 percent, to finish at 14,999.10 points with turnover of 109.70 million shares. The BR Tech and Communication Index added 16.35 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 3,880.89 points on turnover of 123.83 million shares.

Market participants said while the easing of geopolitical tensions has provided immediate relief to investors, developments surrounding U.S.-Iran negotiations and implementation of FY27 budget measures will continue to dictate sentiment and determine the market’s near-term trajectory.