The bourse opened Friday on the entrance foot, crossing the 179,000 mark for the primary time and setting a brand new all-time intraday excessive as buyers positioned for subsequent week’s earnings, rupee positive aspects, and hypothesis over additional State Financial institution of Pakistan (SBP) coverage easing after a softer December Client Value Index (CPI) print.
The Pakistan Inventory Alternate (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index climbed to an intraday excessive of 179,016.88, gaining 2,661.39 factors, or 1.51%, and recorded a low of 176,709.51, reflecting a acquire of 354.02 factors, or 0.2%.
“Bullish exercise witnessed forward of main incomes bulletins due subsequent week,” mentioned Ahsan Mehanti, Managing Director and CEO of Arif Habib Commodities.
“Rupee positive aspects and speculations over additional SBP coverage easing after CPI inflation information stood at 5.6% for December 2025 performed a catalyst function in bullish exercise at PSX,” he added.
Pakistan’s inflation eased for a second straight month in December, elevating hopes for additional coverage easing. The headline CPI inflation slowed to five.6%, primarily on a pointy fall in perishable meals costs; nonetheless, rising housing prices and sticky core inflation signalled lingering pressures.
CPI declined from 6.1% in November and 6.2% in October, however remained above 4.1% in December final yr. On a month-on-month foundation, shopper costs fell 0.4% in December, reversing a 0.4% enhance in November.
Reserves and flows added to the constructive tone. The SBP mentioned foreign-exchange reserves rose by $13 million to $15.915 billion within the week ended December 26, whilst complete liquid reserves edged down $10 million to $21.012 billion and commercial-bank reserves slipped $23 million to $5.097 billion.
Quick-term native authorities bonds recorded a web $20 million international influx in December versus $42.2 million of outflows in November; gross T-bill purchases had been $77.29 million and divestments $57.27 million as of December 25.
Analysts famous that 2025 flows had been weak within the first half amid geopolitics and competing yields, earlier than stabilising in H2 as Pakistan’s danger premium eased and coverage continuity improved.
The SBP minimize its coverage price by 50 bps to 10.5% in December after 4 unchanged conferences at 11%.
The KSE-100 delivered a 51.2% complete return in 2025. Information compiled by Zakheera present banks main with a 103.8% complete return (about 45% of index positive aspects), adopted by cement (88.1%), fertiliser (68.5%), energy (62%), and chemical substances (58.9%).
Textiles and know-how rose 27% and 26.5%, respectively; meals and autos had been sub-20%; exploration and manufacturing gained 16.3%; prescribed drugs and oil and fuel had been close to 9%, whereas refineries ended flat.
On Thursday, the benchmark index closed up 1.32% at 176,355.49 from the earlier shut of 174,054.32 after touching a then document 176,658.38 intraday.
