Karachi, May 16, 2025 – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) made history on Friday by crossing the psychological barrier of 120,000 points during intraday trading for the first time ever.
However, despite this significant milestone, the market witnessed profit-taking that led to a lower close.
The benchmark KSE-100 index of PSX surged as high as 120,506 points during the trading session, setting a new all-time intraday record for Pakistan’s capital market. However, by the close of trading, the index had declined by 313 points, ending at 119,649—down from Thursday’s record closing of 119,962 points.
Market analysts at Topline Securities described the day as range-bound, with the index fluctuating between an intraday high of +544 points and a low of -421 points. They noted that investors opted to book profits and remained on the sidelines ahead of the weekend, especially after the index’s recent strong performance and record highs. The absence of any major fresh trigger also contributed to the cautious sentiment across PSX.
Positive contributions to the index came primarily from ENGROH, Systems Limited (SYS), Bank AL Habib (BAHL), United Bank Limited (UBL), and Bank Alfalah (BAFL), which collectively added 271 points. On the flip side, key negative contributors included Fauji Fertilizer (FFC), Lucky Cement (LUCK), Mari Petroleum (MARI), Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC), Pakistan State Oil (PSO), and Engro Fertilizers (EFERT), together dragging the index down by 476 points.
From a traded value perspective, HUBCO led the market with PKR 1.24 billion in value, followed by PSO (PKR 1.21 billion), Nishat Mills (NML), Pak Elektron (PAEL), and UBL.
Later in the session, investor interest turned toward the engineering sector. The sector saw gains following the Prime Minister’s announcement to gradually abolish Additional Customs Duty (ACD) and Regulatory Duty (RD) over the next four to five years. He also approved a cap on Customs Duty (CD) at a maximum of 15%, down from the current level that exceeds 100% on some items.
Overall, trading activity at PSX remained strong, with volumes reaching 570 million shares and total traded value clocking in at PKR 29 billion, signaling continued investor engagement despite the late-session pullback.