The Pakistan Stock Exchange ended higher on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index adding more than 768 points. Local gold rates, by contrast, were flat over the same day.
Figures provided showed the index climbed 768.6 points, or about 0.46 per cent, to finish at 166,186 points. It built on the previous session’s rise of 641.07 points, when it closed at 165,417.51.
Stock market extends gains despite political and oil concerns
Buying in banking, energy and automobile shares supported Thursday’s advance. At its peak the benchmark reached an intraday high of 166,877.01 points, more than 1,459 points up, before giving back part of that move.
Wednesday’s session had been volatile, with late buying helping the market recover earlier pressure. Investors had been cautious amid domestic political uncertainty and rising international oil prices. Market participants are still watching geopolitical risks, oil prices and domestic economic conditions, and whether the rebound lasts may depend on wider buying across sectors and stronger trading activity.
Gold rates hold steady as silver slips
Gold was unchanged on Thursday, with 24-karat gold priced at Rs437,836 per tola and Rs375,373 per 10 grammes, according to rates reported by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association. The flat rates followed a Rs3,000 per tola drop on Wednesday, when the price for 10 grammes fell by Rs2,572.
The move came as international gold prices declined by $30 to $4,153 per ounce. Silver, however, fell Rs212 to Rs6,148 per tola on Thursday. The divergence reflected separate drivers in each market, with selective stock buying contrasting with gold’s steadiness after its earlier decline.
