Buying returns to bourse, KSE-100 up nearly 500 points in early trade

Buying returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) with the US and Iran headed for a third round of nuclear talks, easing concerns about a potential conflict. The benchmark KSE-100 Index gained nearly 500 points during the opening minutes of trading on Monday. At 9:30am, the benchmark index was hovering at 173,640.80, an increase of 471.09 points or 0.27%. Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. Index-heavy stocks, including ARL, HUBCO, OGDC, PPL, MCB, MEBL and NBP, traded in the green. During the previous week, escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran triggered a sharp risk-off reaction across global financial markets, with Pakistan’s equity benchmark suffering a pronounced correction amid heightened uncertainty and rising oil prices.