KSE-100 Index Surges Over 1,600 Points on 2025’s First Trading Day

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off the new year with impressive momentum, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index soared by more than 1,600 points during early trading on Wednesday. By 10:30 AM, the index stood at 116,804 points, reflecting a gain of 1,675 points, or 1.08%, marking a strong start to 2025.

The surge was driven by broad-based buying across key sectors, including automobiles, cement, commercial banks, fertilizers, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation, and pharmaceuticals. Prominent stocks such as HUBCO, SNGPL, MARI, OGDC, ENGRO, MCB, and MEBL all traded in the green, significantly contributing to the rally.

This bullish sentiment came after a relatively flat close to 2024. On the final trading day of the year, the KSE-100 Index ended at 115,126.90 points, down by just 132.09 points or 0.11%. Despite this muted finish, 2024 proved to be a record-breaking year for the PSX, with the KSE-100 Index rising an extraordinary 84.34%, making it the second-best performing market globally.

Over the past 18 months, the PSX has outpaced all major global markets, recording a staggering 178% gain—the strongest performance in Pakistan’s stock market history in such a short time.

Analysts remain optimistic about the market’s future. Muhammad Sohail, CEO of Topline Securities, noted that despite the market’s stellar performance, Pakistani stocks are still trading at an average forward Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of just 6.3x, signaling substantial room for further growth.

Read more: PSX Hits 111,000 Points Mark as Market Sees Positive Momentum

As the PSX celebrates its remarkable rally, international markets had a quieter start to the year. India’s benchmark indexes, including the Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex, were subdued, and other Asian markets saw lackluster performance.

With the PSX’s strong start, investors are hopeful that the momentum will carry through 2025, building on the gains of the previous year.