Overview
- The KSE-100 closed the week at 185,372.20 after Friday’s trading, up 851.24 points or 0.46 percent, driven by a strong burst of buying in the final hours.
- During the session the index fell to an intraday low of 184,462.65, stabilised through mid-day, and then rallied to an intraday high of 185,668.65 before the close.
- Official Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data released this week show the FY2025-26 trade deficit widened about 21.6 percent to $39.471 billion because exports fell while imports rose sharply.
- Global cues helped push sentiment: easing U.S.–Iran tensions and lower oil prices supported selective buying in banking and oil and gas stocks, while a softer U.S. jobs report reduced near-term rate-hike expectations.
- The wider trade gap increases the risk that equity gains are short lived by adding pressure on the currency and the need for external financing, a dynamic investors will watch alongside corporate earnings and oil-price moves.