KARACHI – May 2025:
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) staged a strong recovery on Friday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index surged 2,787 points, closing at 114,113 points, up 2.44%.
The rebound follows intense diplomatic efforts by Pakistan to de-escalate rising tensions with India, which had sparked a steep selloff earlier in the week. On the last trading day, the market had dropped over 3,500 points amid fears of Indian military retaliation over the Pahalgam incident.
Diplomatic Engagements Drive Sentiment
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, seeking support in urging India to step back from aggressive posturing. These efforts were complemented by statements from the U.S. Administration, affirming its commitment to preventing any escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Market Highlights
Top Gainers: UBL, EFERT, HUBC, LUCK, MEBL, and HBL contributed a combined +1,238 points to the KSE-100, according to Topline Securities.
Total Shares Traded: 372.36 million (down from 490.95 million previous session)
Value Traded: Rs. 23.29 billion (vs. Rs. 31.12 billion prior session)
Companies Active: 445
Gainers: 311
Losers: 63
Unchanged: 51
Analysts say the market could continue to trend upward if geopolitical tensions further subside and clarity emerges from ongoing diplomatic talks.
