PSX Gains 446 Points at Midday, KSE-100 Nears 177,800
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained in positive territory during Friday’s first trading session, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 446.44 points, or 0.25%, to reach 177,769.21 before trading paused for the customary Jummah prayer break.
Official PSX market data recorded the benchmark at 177,769.21 around midday, compared with the previous session’s close of 177,322.77.
The market’s positive performance represented a measured rebound after Thursday’s volatile session ended almost flat.
KSE-100 Trades Between 177,165 and 177,833
During Friday morning’s trading, the KSE-100 reached an intraday high of 177,833.12 and fell to a low of 177,165.27, showing continued volatility around the 177,000-178,000 range.
The index nevertheless remained above Thursday’s closing level for most of the morning and was positioned just below 177,800 when the first session ended.
According to The Express Tribune, first-session turnover stood at approximately 98.50 million shares, with traded value reaching about Rs7.48 billion.
The figures represent activity during the first session only and should not be interpreted as Friday’s final trading volume.
Friday Trading Pauses for Jummah Prayers
The market status was listed as suspended around midday as part of the PSX’s regular Friday trading schedule rather than because of any unusual market event.
Friday trading is divided into two sessions, with the morning session followed by a break for Jummah prayers before trading resumes in the afternoon.
This distinction is important because the 446-point increase is an intraday figure, not the market’s closing performance.
The benchmark could extend its gains, remain near current levels or reverse direction once afternoon trading resumes.
PSX Recovers After Thursday’s Volatile Session
Friday’s rebound followed a volatile Thursday session in which the KSE-100 initially climbed sharply before losing momentum later in the day.
The index had reached an intraday high of 178,650.01 on Thursday but eventually closed at 177,322.77, down just 47.93 points, or 0.03%.
Thursday’s early buying had pushed the benchmark more than 1,000 points higher during the morning, but profit-taking erased the gains before the close.
The sharp reversal demonstrated the difficulty the index has faced in sustaining moves into the 178,000-180,000 region, which has repeatedly emerged as an important resistance area in recent sessions.
Investors Watch Oil, Geopolitics and Corporate Results
Friday morning’s gains came amid continued investor attention to international oil prices, geopolitical developments and Pakistan’s corporate earnings season.
Early Friday trading had already shown a modest positive bias. At around 9:50am, the KSE-100 was at 177,500.38, up 177.61 points or 0.10%, before the rally strengthened later in the morning.
Oil and gas, banking, cement, power and other heavyweight sectors have played a significant role in recent market movements, while developments involving Iran and the broader Middle East have continued to influence investor sentiment.
Corporate earnings announcements have also generated stock-specific volatility as investors reassess company valuations and profit expectations.
Can KSE-100 Break Above 178,000?
The immediate focus will be whether buyers can maintain control during Friday’s afternoon session and push the benchmark back above the psychologically and technically significant 178,000 level.
Recent sessions have shown that intraday rallies can reverse quickly. Thursday provided a clear example, with the index rising as high as 178,650 before ending marginally lower.
Friday morning’s gain of 446 points therefore signals positive momentum but does not establish the final direction of the session.
At the Jummah break, the official PSX snapshot showed 235 securities advancing, 230 declining and 103 unchanged, indicating relatively balanced broader market participation despite the KSE-100’s positive performance.
Investors will now look to the second session to determine whether the KSE-100 can consolidate above 177,800 and make another attempt at the 178,000 threshold or whether profit-taking again limits the market’s upside.
