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KARACHI: Amid heightened anticipation of a $1.2 billion inflow, investors were actively purchasing stocks at attractive valuations, causing the benchmark KSE index to rise above 168,000 on the first day of the week. This excitement comes as the executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to meet in Washington on Monday.
According to Topline Securities Ltd, the index ended the trading session on a firm footing, closing at 168,303.25 points, up 1,217.67 points. Throughout the session, the benchmark fluctuated within a range, reaching an intraday high of 168,755 and a low of 167,386. Overall sentiment remained upbeat, buoyed by continued buying from local mutual funds, as indicated by the NCCPL data.
Fauji Fertiliser, Systems Ltd, National Bank, PTCL, and DG Khan Cement played a significant role in the rally, jointly contributing around 846 points to the benchmark’s rise.
Market participation remained robust, with total volume rising 14pc to 783 million shares, while traded value surged 20pc to Rs 49 billion. PTCL emerged as the most heavily traded stock of the session, with 60 million shares changing hands.
Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd, attributed the bullish start to several key developments, including the IMF board meeting to approve Pakistan’s second review, the Economic Coordination Council of the Cabinet to review the Circular Debt Management Plan for FY26 on Tuesday, and the Ministry of Defence officially announced the appointment of the Chief of Defence Forces, reducing uncertainty on the political front.
On the corporate side, PTCL hit the upper cap post the company notice stating that it is accepting the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s conditional approval for acquiring control of Telenor Pakistan and Orion Towers.
Analysts expect the market to attempt a new all-time high, with the energy sector likely to lead the rally. Anticipation of a potential circular debt disbursement tomorrow continues to fuel positive sentiment and may trigger fresh buying interest across key E&P and power sector stocks.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2025
