KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a partial recovery on Tuesday in a volatile session following a heavy sell-off on Monday. The benchmark KSE-100 index recovered by 5,159 points amid value hunting by investors at lower levels on confidence that geopolitical tensions are unlikely to prolong.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index surged by 5,159.1 points or 3.39 per cent to 157,132.1 points from 151,973 points recorded in the last session. The highest index of the day remained at 158,217.01 points, while the lowest was 151,258.86 points.
Ali Najib, deputy head of trading at Arif Habib Ltd, said the PSX staged a partial recovery following the previous session’s record decline.The market opened on a strong footing, gaining over 4,000 points shortly after trading commenced. However, residual selling pressure and redemption-driven activity from the prior session weighed on momentum, causing the index to surrender early gains. At one point, the KSE-100 slipped into negative territory, touching an intraday low of 151,259.
In the latter half of the session, renewed buying interest emerged, particularly in blue-chip stocks, as value hunters capitalised on attractive valuations. Broad-based accumulation helped the index rebound sharply, providing much-needed relief to investors.
Key contributors to the recovery included FFC, UBL, ENGROH, MEBL, MARI, NBP, HUBC, LUCK, MCB, and EFERT, which collectively added 3,991 points to the index.“Going forward, geopolitical developments will determine whether today’s rebound proves to be merely a temporary ‘dead-cat’ bounce or the beginning of a sustainable reversal from the recent bearish trend,” said Najib.
The KSE-30 index increased by 1,976.5 points, or 4.27 per cent, to 48,302.97 points from 46,326.47 points.Traded shares dropped by 79 million shares to 770.695 million shares from 809.55 million shares. The trading value decreased to Rs44.363 billion from Rs48.512 billion. Market capitalisation expanded to Rs17.631 trillion against Rs17.185 trillion. Of the 480 companies active in the session, 213 closed in green, 228 in red and 39 remained unchanged.
The highest increase was recorded in PIA Holding Company Limited B, which rose by Rs1,189 to Rs17,689 per share, followed by Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited, which increased by Rs189.76 to Rs9,078.66 per share. A significant decline was noted in Khyber Textile Mills Limited, which fell by Rs105.21 to Rs1,318.57 per share. Ismail Industries Limited followed it, which closed lower by Rs86.25 to Rs1,813.75 per share.
According to Topline Sales Desk, the bulls staged a confident comeback after Monday’s heavy sell-off. Early weakness dragged the index to an intraday low of 714 points, but just when sentiment seemed fragile, buyers quietly returned to the arena. As investors reassessed the situation and grew confident that geopolitical tensions are unlikely to prolong, the mood shifted from fear to opportunity.
Value hunters stepped in, accumulating fundamentally strong stocks at attractive levels. K-Electric Ltd remained the volume leader with 74.401 million shares, which closed higher by 59 paisas to Rs7.29 per share. WorldCall Telecom with 50.045 million shares, followed it, which closed up by 9 paisas to Rs1.21 per share.
Other significant turnover stocks included Pak Elektron, Unity Foods Ltd, B.O. Punjab, Cnergyico PK, Telecard Limited, Hascol Petrol, Nishat ChunPower and Fauji Cement. In the futures market, 318 companies recorded trading, with 179 increasing, 137 decreasing, and 2 remaining unchanged.
