- The market ends at 115,094.23, up 1,009.70 points.
- Intraday High reaches 115,247.39, winning 1,162.86 points.
- Low session recorded at 114,429.93, up 345.4 points.
The stock market joined Thursday, ending with substantial gain, investors reacted positively to optimism surrounding the resolution of circular debt in the energy sector and an upgrade of Pakistani banks by the Moody’s notes.
The market was also supported by the hopes of a favorable result of the examination of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in progress.
The KSE-100 index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) jumped 1,009.70 points, or 0.89%, to end at 115,094.23 points, marking a continuous ascending trajectory.
The index reached an intraday summit of 115,247.39, while the lowest level of the session was recorded at 114,429.93, investors showing an increase in purchase interest in the midst of positive economic developments.
“The markets are based on a gathering in energy stock due to the potential solution of circular debt and the upgrading of Pakistani banks by Moody’s,” said Ahfaz Mustafa, CEO of Ismail Iqbal Securities.
“These two factors and the hope of a positive negotiation of the IMF maintain positive feelings and encourage investors to buy,” he added.
Moody’s evaluations have improved its prospects in Pakistan’s banking sector with improved macroeconomic conditions and sector resilience in financial performance. This change is aligned with the improvement of the government’s prospects, as banks have a significant exposure to sovereign debt.
“We have changed our prospects on the Pakistan banking system to a stable positive to reflect the resilient financial performance of banks as well as the improvement of macroeconomic conditions from very low levels a year ago,” said Moody’s. The agency provides that the economy of Pakistan increases by 3% in 2025, following a growth rate of 2.5% in 2024 and a contraction of 0.2% in 2023.
Meanwhile, Pakistan workers’ funds continued to increase their high trend, increasing 38.6% in annual sliding to $ 3.1 billion in February 2025, compared to $ 2.2 billion in the same month last year, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
On a monthly basis, funding of funds increased by 3.8% compared to the turnover of January. For the first eight months of the financial year (July-February 8mfy25), funds totaled $ 24 billion, reflecting a substantial increase of 32.5% against $ 18.1 billion in the same period last year.
Analysts attribute the increase in economic recovery, the improvement of incentives for banks and exchange companies, stable rupee and increased workers’ emigration. The measures taken by the SBP to limit illegal exchange exchanges also contributed to higher entries.
At the policy level, an IMF team led by the Mission Chief Nathan Porter is currently in Pakistan for the first examination of the prolonged fund of funds of $ 7 billion (EFF) guaranteed last year. If the exam is completed successfully, Pakistan should receive the next $ 1 billion loan tranche, which would further support economic stability.
The PSX had seen a mixed session on Wednesday, while the KSE-100 index closed 93.12 lower points, or 0.08%, to 114,084.54 points, down 114,177.66 points recorded during the previous session. The highest level of the day was 114,661.89 points, while the lowest was recorded at 114,001.50 points.