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Pakistan’s stock market opened December on a positive note as the KSE-100 Index reversed early losses and moved sharply higher, supported by improved investor confidence and active buying across major sectors.
The benchmark index was trading at 167,438 points by midday, recovering almost 800 points after a brief dip in early trade. Analysts said the rebound reflects continued momentum from last week’s rally, where the KSE-100 closed at 166,678 after gaining more than 4,500 points.
Providing background, market sentiment has been strong over the past week due to broad based buying and expectations of policy stability. Sectors including autos, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration, and OMCs all contributed to today’s upward movement. Index leaders such as MARI, OGDC, PPL, PSO, SNGPL, WAFI, MCB, MEBL, and NBP were also trading in the green.
An analyst noted, “The market is carrying forward last week’s momentum, with investors positioning ahead of key economic updates this month.”
International market trends also supported the mood. Asian markets opened mixed but steady, supported by optimism around potential US interest rate cuts. The Japanese yen strengthened to 155.64 per dollar as the Bank of Japan signaled it may consider raising interest rates in December.
MSCI Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan held near 703 points, marking their strongest yearly performance since 2017, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained over 1%. However, US futures drifted lower during Asian trading hours.
With global markets stabilising and local buying interest rising, analysts expect the KSE-100 to remain volatile but supported above key levels in the near term.
