Following geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that had unsettled markets across Asia, Pakistan’s stock exchange witnessed a significant comeback on Thursday. The benchmark KSE-100 Index surged by over 5,430 points to close at 161,210, marking one of its strongest single-day gains in recent months.
Previously, the market had endured a historic sell-off with a record plunge of nearly 16,000 points on March 2. This was followed by partial recoveries and subsequent dips over the preceding days.
On Thursday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange saw a robust recovery. The KSE-100 Index gained 5,433 points (+3.49%) to close at 161,211.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd., noted: “The upward trend was largely driven by widespread buying across major sectors, reflecting improved investor sentiment following the recent volatility.”
Strong institutional interest was observed in oil and gas exploration companies, oil marketing firms, power generation, cement, automobile manufacturers, refineries, and banking sectors. Several index-heavy stocks were trading firmly in positive territory.
In the sectoral analysis, there was a 0.1% decline in gas production to 2,687 mmcfd for the fourth week of February 2026, while oil production dropped by 2.9% to 59,103 bopd during the same period. The reduction primarily stemmed from curtailments in northern fields and diminished demand from the power sector.
Key contributors to the index included HUBC, OGDC, FFC, ENGROH, MEBL, PPL, HBL, PSO, MARI, and SYS, which added 3,334 points to the benchmark total. These stocks collectively drove substantial gains over the course of the session.
Market participation remained robust with a total traded volume of 718.6 million shares amounting to PKR 35 billion. KEL topped the volume chart during Thursday’s trading session, with 115.6 million shares changing hands.
As investors prepare for the final trading session of the week, there is anticipation whether this positive momentum will continue or if cautious approaches are likely given the recent recovery from volatility.