PSX Climbs Above 158,000 points for the First Time
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) concluded a volatile week on a positive note, with the benchmark KSE-100 index settling above the 158,000-point mark for the first time.
The index experienced a fluctuating session, reaching an intraday high of 159,337 points before retracting to 157,522 points in the afternoon. Despite the swings, the KSE-100 ultimately closed at 158,037 points, a marginal gain of 0.05%.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, described the week as a “roller-coaster” but emphasized the market’s success in “defend[ing] the 158,000-point mark.”
increased market participation was observed, with trading volume rising by 4.52% to exceed 2 billion shares. The value of trades also saw a important increase, surging by 21.67% to Rs69.2 billion. Cnergyico PK led in trading volume, with 170.2 million shares changing hands.
However, the positive market performance is set against a backdrop of growing macroeconomic concerns. The current account deficit widened to $245 million in August, a considerable increase from $82 million in the same month last year. This brings the cumulative shortfall for the first two months of FY26 to $624 million, up from $430 million during the corresponding period in FY25, indicating increasing external economic pressures.
Looking ahead,the KSE-100 is currently trading within the 155,000-158,000 range.Analysts suggest a breakout above this range could potentially drive the index to new highs.
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2025
