Islamabad, Jan 1: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) started the new year on a strong note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index surging by over 1,800 points on Wednesday, reflecting bullish market sentiment. The index closed at a record high of 117,008 points, marking an increase of 1,881 points, or 1.61 percent, compared to the previous day.
During the session, a total of 931.28 million shares were traded, slightly lower than the 1.24 billion shares exchanged on the previous trading day. The total value of shares traded amounted to Rs 42.62 billion, down from Rs 44.22 billion in the last session. Out of 461 companies that transacted their shares, 258 recorded gains, 160 saw losses, and 43 companies’ share prices remained unchanged.
A significant development during the day was the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December 2024, which came in at 4.1 percentnthe lowest reading in 81 months. The inflation rate for the first half of FY25 averaged 7.22 percent, a sharp decline from 28.79 percent in the same period last year, indicating positive economic trends.
The PSX had an exceptional 2024, finishing as the second-best performing stock market globally, with an 84 percent gain in Pakistani rupee terms and an 87 percent increase in US dollar terms, underscoring investor optimism in the market’s future prospects.
