Stocks open positive, KSE-100 gains nearly 700 points

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened on a positive note on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining nearly 700 points as overall market sentiment remained upbeat, supported by steady investor participation. At 10:45am, the benchmark index was hovering at 159,154.68, an increase of 689.63 points or 0.44%. Buying was observed in key sectors including automobile assemblers, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, PSO, SNGPL, HBL, MEBL and UBL, traded in the green. On Wednesday, the PSX witnessed sustained selling pressure as investors continued to offload positions amid rollover anxiety and weak institutional participation. The benchmark KSE-100 Index dropped 1,635.97 points, or 1.02%, to close at 158,465.06.