The Pakistan Stock Exchange soared to a new record high on Monday, as optimism about potential US investment under a trade deal, alongside record remittances and strong corporate earnings, fuelled investor interest.
The benchmark KSE-100 index gained 1,547.05 points, or 1.06%, to close at 146,929.84, driven by bullish sentiment in exploration and production (E&P) and banking sectors.
Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corp commented that stocks closed at a new all-time high amid strong financial results and speculation about the positive outcome of finer details of US investment under the Pakistan-US trade deal.
Record remittances of $3.2 billion in July 2025, rupee stability and expectations of a surge in exports due to the India-US tariff conflict drove the bullish close at the PSX, added Mehanti. Arif Habib Limited (AHL) Deputy Head of Trading Ali Najib remarked that bulls were marching towards 150,000 points with full excitement as the KSE-100 index breached the 146,000 mark and closed the day just below 147,000 at 146,930 (+1,547 points, or 1.06%).
Sentiment remained strong in the backdrop of Pakistan-US trade deal. The investor community is anticipating that the visit of army chief could lead to further favourable terms for Pakistani exports to the US market, said Najib.
The E&P sector led the day in the wake of news regarding circular debt resolution, which is likely to be announced soon. Mari Petroleum and Oil and Gas Development Company cumulatively added 526 points to the index, he noted.
In addition, banking-sector stocks namely Bank AL Habib, Meezan Bank, MCB Bank, Habib Metropolitan Bank and Faysal Bank saw buying interest throughout the session, which helped the index gain 679 points.
Going forward, progress on circular debt resolution could further fuel the momentum. That said, some consolidation or a mild correction remains possible. In case of a pullback, 145,000 is expected to serve as the first support, followed by 143,000, while 150,000 stands as the next key resistance, added Najib.
Overall trading volumes increased to 611.2 million shares compared with Friday’s tally of 548.1 million. Traded value decreased to Rs44 billion as compared to Rs45.5 billion in the previous session.
Shares of 479 companies were traded. Of these, 242 stocks closed higher, 209 dropped and 28 remained unchanged.
Lotte Chemical was the volume leader with trading in 73.3 million shares, gaining 54 paisa to close at Rs21.80.