PSX opens 2026 firmly as KSE-100 crosses 176,000 level

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off the year on a positive note, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index hitting a new all-time high of 176,000 during the trading session on Thursday.

At 12:25pm, the benchmark index was hovering at 176,090.81, a gain of 2,036.49 points or 1.17%.

Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies and OMCs. Index-heavy stocks, including OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, MCB and UBL, traded in the green.

On a fiscal front, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) provisionally collected Rs6,154 billion during the first six months (July-December) 2025-26 against the target of Rs6,490 billion, reflecting a shortfall of Rs336 billion.

The shortfall in revenue collection during December 2025 may prompt the government to activate contingency measures as agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On Wednesday, PSX closed lower following profit-taking on the last trading day of the year. The benchmark KSE-100 Index decreased by 418.45 points to settle at 174,054.32 points.

Internationally, Wall Street indexes closed lower on Wednesday, echoing their world counterparts amid light trading on the last day of 2025, while investors took some profits in precious metals as they crossed the finish line of a roller-coaster twelve months.

The three major US stock indexes ended well in negative territory, content to drift along just below record highs and bask in robust, double-digit annual gains.

While all three indexes registered quarterly gains, and the Dow logged a monthly advance, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq posted nominal monthly declines.

Wednesday’s modest moves cap a whipsaw year marked by geopolitical turbulence, on-again, off-again tariff threats, dollar weakness, and ongoing mania surrounding the artificial intelligence boom.

This is an intra-day update