At close, KSE-100 index closes at 42,525.95 points.
The index traded between hope and despair on IMF programme.
Shares of 341 companies were traded during the session.
KARACHI: The bulls staged a comeback at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday cheering the finance minister’s assurance the much-awaited International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme will be revived within two days.
Constant assurance from the top leadership that the stalled $6 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme will be revived this week strengthened investors’ sentiment as players cherry-picked stocks that lost valuation during the last bearish spell.
The benchmark KSE-100 index traded between hope and despair, which eventually let loose the bulls, who pulled the bourse into the green.
Investors kept a close watch on economic news after the Pakistan rupee continued to break records by dropping to an all-time low of 211.48 against the US dollar in the interbank market.
The KSE-100 index gained since the morning bell rang, but some dips were seen at regular intervals. The uptrend turned steeper at midday as the index once again breached the 42,000-point mark.
At close, the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 42,525.95 points after surging 748.97 points or 1.79%.
A report from Arif Habib Limited noted that the bulls triumphed in the trading session at PSX today. “The benchmark KSE-100 index remained in the green zone throughout the day as value buying was witnessed across the board,” the brokerage house noted.
“The investors gained confidence in expectation of resumption of the IMF programme. Volumes remained healthy in the main board,” it stated.
Sectors contributing to the performance included technology (+136.6 points), exploration and production (+95.2 points), cement (+85.9 points), banks (+76.3 points) and fertiliser (+72.2 points).
Shares of 341 companies were traded during the session. At the close of trading, 268 scrips closed in the green, 49 in the red, and 24 remained unchanged.
Overall trading volumes rose to 300.59 million shares compared with Monday’s tally of 162.11 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs9.47 billion.
TPL Properties was the volume leader with 23.68 million shares traded, gaining Rs1.48 to close at Rs21.23. It was followed by Pakistan Refinery with 20.65 million shares traded, gaining Rs1.16 to close at Rs18.85 and Cnergy Limited with 17.86 million shares traded, gaining Rs0.35 to close at Rs5.66.
In the international exchange market, the US dollar has continued to weaken in relation to the Pakistani rupee.
The dollar fell to Rs278.10 from Rs278.17 at the beginning of interbank trading, according to currency dealers, a seven paisa loss.
In the meantime, there was a lot of turbulence in the stock market, but it recovered and moved into the positive zone. The KSE-100 index recovered momentum and reached 116,000 points after soaring 1,300 points.
Both currency and stock market swings, according to analysts, are a reflection of ongoing market adjustments and economic uncertainty.
The cornerstone of economic cooperation between the two brothers and all-weather friends is still the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the initiative’s flagship project.
In contrast to reports of a slowdown, recent events indicate a renewed vigour and strategic emphasis on pushing the second phase of CPEC, known as CPEC Phase-2, according to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.
According to the statement, this crucial stage seeks to reshape the foundation of bilateral ties via increased cooperation, cutting-edge technology transfer, and revolutionary socioeconomic initiatives.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal is leading Pakistan’s participation in a number of high-profile gatherings in China, such as the 3rd Forum on China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation in Kunming and the High-Level Seminar on CPEC-2 in Beijing.
His involvement demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to reviving CPEC, resolving outstanding concerns, and developing a strong phase-2 roadmap that considers both countries’ long-term prosperity.
At the core of these interactions is China’s steadfast determination to turn CPEC into a strategic alliance that promotes development, progress, and connectivity.
Instead of being marginalised, CPEC is developing into a multifaceted framework with five main thematic corridors: the Opening-Up/Regional Connectivity Corridor, the Innovation Corridor, the Green Corridor, the Growth Corridor, and the Livelihood-Enhancing Corridor.
With the help of projects like these, the two countries will fortify their partnership, and CPEC phase-2 will become a model of global economic integration and collaboration that benefits not just China and Pakistan but the entire region.
On December 2, core inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) significantly slowed, falling to 4.9% in November 2024 from 7.2 percent in October 2024.
The CPI-based inflation rate for the same month last year (November 2023) was 29.2%, according to PBS data.
Compared to a 1.2% gain in the prior month, it increased by 0.5% month over month in November 2024.