The KSE-100 Index rose sharply on Wednesday after Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Early trading saw the benchmark index jump over 1,500 points, reflecting renewed investor confidence.
At 9:35 am, the KSE-100 was trading at 167,042.55, up 1,566.53 points or 0.95%. The rally came as investors welcomed the IMF agreement, which is seen as a step toward economic stability in Pakistan.
Buying activity was strong in several sectors, including automobiles, cement, banking, energy, oil marketing, and power generation. Major companies such as HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, SSGC, SNGPL, MCB, MEBL, and UBL traded in the green.
Under the SLA, Pakistan will access around $1 billion under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $200 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), pending IMF Executive Board approval. In total, the disbursements will reach approximately $3.3 billion.
The surge followed Tuesday’s historic rebound when the KSE-100 jumped 7,032.60 points to close at 165,476.02. Analysts say the gains reflect optimism about Pakistan’s economic direction, supported by IMF engagement and a stabilizing currency.
International markets also showed positive momentum. Asian stocks rose after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted that the Fed might end its tightening cycle soon. Strong earnings from U.S. banks and an upgraded IMF 2025 global growth forecast further boosted investor sentiment.
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MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) gained 0.45%, while Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.8%. U.S. Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures also increased slightly by 0.1% each, showing global investor optimism.
Overall, the KSE-100 continues to benefit from positive economic signals at home and abroad. Investors are closely watching developments related to the IMF agreement and other economic indicators for future trends.
