The KSE-100 index gained 779.34 points to close at 165,930.99 on Monday. Trading activity reached 379.9 million shares, with the total value of transactions standing at Rs21.3 billion.
The index touched an intra-day high of 166,242.43 and a low of 164,731.91, having reached 165,845.69 by 9.33 am. Hub Power, Habib Bank, UBL, OGDC, Mari Energies, PPL, Fauji Fertiliser, Sazgar Engineering, Lucky Cement and NCPL contributed 711 points to the overall advance.
Weakness in Attock Refinery, Fatima Fertiliser, Engro Holdings, Fauji Cement and Millat Tractors partially offset the market gains. Ali Najib noted that the market gained momentum amid renewed institutional buying, driven by optimism over intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the US-Iran conflict and expectations of easing geopolitical tensions.
The committee proposed reforms to Pakistan's Automotive and Auto Parts Manufacturing Policy 2026-31, which aims to boost automotive exports to $6 billion. This proposed policy includes preferential sales tax rates for new energy vehicles.
Brent crude remained at $110 per barrel during the session. KTrade said, "We expect the market to remain range bound amid cautious investor sentiment, with near-term direction driven by oil-price movements, geopolitical developments and corporate earnings."
