PSX nears 132,000 as bulls charge on

Institutional flows, falling bond yields lift KSE-100 to historic close

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KARACHI:

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended the week on a bullish note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 0.97% on Friday to close around 131,950 points, marking a robust weekly advance of 6%.

The market's upward momentum was driven by strong institutional buying, fuelled by fresh equity allocations, as reflected in data from the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL). Among the top gainers, Bank Alfalah Limited, MCB Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan, and Meezan Bank Limited made notable contributions, adding a combined 1,289 points to the index.

"Stocks closed bullish at a new all-time high as investors weighed the rupee recovery and SBP FX reserves reaching $19.87 billion amid improved inflows and political stability," said Ahsan Mehanti, Managing Director of Arif Habib Corp. Falling government bond yields and investor speculation ahead of major earnings announcements due next week also played a catalyst role in the record close at the PSX, he added.

According to AHL, the KSE-100 Index closed Friday with a rise of 0.97%. Out of the traded stocks, 60 advanced while 37 declined. Major contributors to the index included UBL (+5.7%), HBL (+5.55%), and Systems Limited (+4.68%). On the downside, FFC (-2.15%), PPL (-1.57%), and Engro Holdings (-0.83%) weighed on the index. Notably, listed companies on the PSX distributed a record Rs848.9 billion in cash dividends during FY25, reflecting a 23% year-on-year increase. With 130,000 points now forming a strong support level, further gains are expected in the coming week.

At the close of trading, the KSE-100 Index surged by 1,262.41 points, or 0.97%, to settle at 131,949.07.

Topline Securities noted in its market review that the KSE-100 Index largely traded in the positive zone during the session, closing at 131,949 (up 0.97%). The upward trend was attributed to institutional buying driven by new allocations to equity funds, as indicated by NCCPL data. United Bank Limited (UBL), Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Systems Limited (SYS), Bank Al Habib Limited (BAHL), MCB, National Bank Pakistan (NBP), and Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL) made the highest positive contributions, collectively adding 1,289 points to the index.

In other developments, Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SAZEW) reported its June 2025 sales, with 4-wheeler sales at 1,349 units (up 47% month-on-month and 2.55 times year-on-year), taking FY25 total sales to 10,844 units — double from the previous year.

Muhammad Hasan Ather of JS Global noted that the KSE-100 Index closed the session on a strong note, gaining 1,262 points to settle at 131,949. Broad-based buying was observed across key sectors, particularly autos, banks, and power. Investor sentiment remained upbeat, supported by improved macroeconomic indicators and expectations of further monetary easing.

Overall trading volume stood at 733.1 million shares, down from 899.8 million in the previous session. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs34.9 billion.

Shares of 473 companies were traded. Of these, 255 closed higher, 177 declined, and 41 remained unchanged.

WorldCall Telecom led the turnover with trades worth Rs58.3 million, losing Rs0.04 to close at Rs1.55. It was followed by Bank Makramah with Rs35.8 million shares, down Rs0.03 to Rs5.12, and Treet Corp with Rs29.7 million shares, up Rs1.07 to close at Rs23.93. Foreign investors sold shares worth Rs655.5 million, according to NCCPL data.