Overview
- The KSE-100 rose roughly 2,082 points to close at about 187,454 on Monday, reaching an all-time high after a broad-based buying wave.
- Brokers and market houses said heavy institutional buying concentrated in commercial banks, oil and gas, and cement stocks drove the move.
- Trading activity increased with ready market volume near 888 million shares, positive market breadth, and index heavyweights such as HBL, MEBL, NBP, Lucky Cement and Mari making large point contributions.
- Foreign investors were net sellers on the Monday session, offloading about Rs283.4 million, and the market slipped roughly 688 points in early trading on Tuesday as participants took profits and reacted to softer regional sentiment.
- Analysts say near-term direction will depend on upcoming inflation data, corporate earnings and central bank policy, and that softer international crude prices could ease Pakistan’s import bill and inflation pressure, helping sentiment if the trends hold.