The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed another record-breaking day on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index surged past the 145,000 mark during intra-day trading — a new all-time high.
By 3:30pm, the index stood at 145,113.59 points, up 2,076.43 points or 1.45%. The rally was driven by strong buying interest across multiple sectors including automobile assemblers, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, and refineries. Heavyweight stocks such as ARL, OGDC, POL, SNGPL, SSGC, MCB, MEBL, and UBL traded in the green.
Analysts attribute the bullish momentum to improved macroeconomic indicators, investor optimism, and expectations of robust corporate earnings.
“Expectations of better corporate results are driving the buying rally,” said Samiullah Tariq, Head of Research at Pak-Kuwait Investment.
This surge follows Tuesday’s rally when the index climbed 985 points (0.69%) to close at an unprecedented 143,037.17 points.
Global Market Influence
Despite PSX’s bullish performance, Asian and US markets showed mixed trends. Asian shares slipped following Wall Street’s decline amid concerns over US economic slowdown due to tariff policies. US services sector activity stagnated in July, while employment weakened and input costs rose to a three-year high.
Corporate earnings in the US reflected tariff-related pressures, with Yum Brands missing expectations and Caterpillar warning that tariffs could cost up to $1.5 billion this year.
US President Donald Trump announced upcoming tariffs on semiconductors, chips, and pharmaceuticals, while hinting at a potential trade deal with China later this year. He also threatened higher tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases.
