The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off 2025 with remarkable hike as the benchmark KSE-100 Index soared over 1,600 points during early trading, on Wednesday.
By 10:30 AM, the index had reached 116,804 points, reflecting an increase of 1,675 points or 1.08%. This strong start to 2025 saw widespread buying activities across key sectors.
Major points were recorded in industries such as automobiles, cement, oil and gas exploration, oil marketing companies (OMCs), commercial banking, fertilizers, power generation, and pharmaceuticals.
Prominent contributors to the rally included heavyweight stocks like HUBCO, ENGRO, MCB, SNGPL, MARI, OGDC, and MEBL, all of which traded positively and bolstered the market’s robust performance.
The upbeat sentiment comes after a quieter conclusion to 2024. On the year’s final trading day, the KSE-100 Index ended nearly flat at 115,126.90 points, down 132.09 points or 0.11%, wrapping up an otherwise outstanding year for the market on a subdued note.
Despite ongoing economic challenges, 2024 proved to be a record-breaking year for the PSX. The KSE-100 Index surged by an impressive 84.34%, ranking it as the second-best performing stock market globally. Over the past 18 months, the PSX has outperformed all major global markets, delivering a phenomenal 178% gain—the highest in Pakistan’s stock market history over such a short span.
Muhammad Sohail, CEO of Topline Securities, highlighted that even after such a remarkable rally, Pakistani stocks are trading at an average forward Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of just 6.3x. These figures suggest for further growth in the coming months.
While the PSX enjoyed a stellar rally, international markets had a more subdued start to 2025. India’s key indices showed minimal movement, with the Nifty 50 slipping 0.11% to 23,617.75 points and the BSE Sensex dropping 0.09% to 78,057.81 points as of 9:35 AM IST. Other Asian markets were similarly lackluster, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index reflecting cautious trading.
