The Pakistan Stock Exchange continued its strong upward momentum on the last trading day of the year, as the KSE-100 Index crossed the 175,000-point mark for the first time in the country’s history, setting a new milestone.
According to sources, at 11:55 am the benchmark index surged by 601.39 points, or 0.34 percent, to reach an all-time high of 175,074.18 points. It is worth recalling that on Tuesday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange maintained a positive trend, with the KSE-100 Index closing on a strong note at a new record high. The benchmark index gained 576.45 points to settle at 174,473 points.
On the international front, Asian stock markets declined on the final trading day of the year, in a year during which investors largely brushed aside tariff-related uncertainties and heavily favored artificial intelligence–chip stocks. Meanwhile, the year proved disappointing for the US dollar, which helped keep the euro and the British pound relatively stable.
Japanese markets will remain closed for the rest of the week, and with most global markets set to close on Thursday for the New Year holiday, trading volumes are expected to remain thin with limited market volatility.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.17 percent on Wednesday, as investors reviewed the minutes of the US Federal Reserve’s December meeting, which highlighted deep divisions among policymakers over the future path of US interest rates.
According to sources, on an annual basis the index is heading for a 27 percent gain, marking its fastest pace of growth since 2017. China’s blue-chip index saw a modest increase and is on track for an 18 percent annual gain, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.7 percent but is heading for a 28 percent rise in 2025, as investors looked past concerns related to trade tensions.
