KARACHI: Bulls ext­ended their run on Friday as the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at yet another all-time high, marking the sixth consecutive session of gains on the back of strong institutional interest in banking and cement stocks.

The index surged 1,612 points, or 1.06pc, to settle at 154,277.19, comfortably above the 154,000 barrier. During the session, it touched an intraday peak of 154,511 points, before closing near the day’s high. On a weekly basis, the KSE-100 added 5,659 points, or 3.81pc, after opening at 149,079 points.

However, the surge in equities comes at a time when the wider economy faces growing risks from devastating floods in Pun­jab, now heading towards Sindh. The calamity threatens standing crops, disrupts supply chains, and could fuel inflationary pre­s­sures, posing fresh challenges to the country’s fragile recovery.

Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, said the index “shattered 154,000” as the market closed the week “in style”. He added that mom­entum suggested further upside in the coming sessions.

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) stole the spotlight, hitting the upper circuit within minutes of its corporate briefing, which raised hopes of a sizeable year-end dividend. Although the NBP Act restricts payouts to annual results, investors welcomed management’s indication of not remaining overcapitalised. The stock jumped 9.88pc to close at Rs171.98.

Cement stocks followed suit. DG Khan Cement rose 10pc, while Power Cement, Gharibwal Cement, Maple Leaf Cement and Lucky Cement gained between 3–7.5pc, reflecting broad-based strength in the sector.

Market participation was robust, with trading volume rising 13pc to 1.07 billion shares, while trading value surged 30.17% to almost Rs60 billion. Bank of Punjab dominated the volume chart once again with 146m shares, underscoring risk appetite in a market already at record levels.

Analysts said the 150,000 mark had re-emerged as a strong support zone, underpinned by optimism over narrowing trade deficits and expectations of a far­mer relief package. With momentum intact, investors appeared confident of further highs in the days ahead.Accor­ding to Topline Securities, the index’s exte­n­sion was largely driven by institutional buying in banks and cement shares.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2025