Stocks hit all-time high above 154,000 points

Bulls ext­ended their run on Friday as the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at yet another all-time high, marking the sixth consecutive session of gains on the back of strong institutional interest in banking and cement stocks. The index surged 1,612 points, or 1.06pc, to settle at 154,277.19, comfortably above the 154,000 barrier. During the session, it touched an intraday peak of 154,511 points, before closing near the day’s high. On a weekly basis, the KSE-100 added 5,659 points, or 3.81pc, after opening at 149,079 points. However, the surge in equities comes at a time when the wider economy faces growing risks from devastating floods in Pun­jab, now heading towards Sindh. The calamity threatens standing crops, disrupts supply chains, and could fuel inflationary pre­s­sures, posing fresh challenges to the country’s fragile recovery.