Wednesday, December 31 2025

PSX maintains record-setting rally
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) rallied to another record high on Tuesday and appeared well-positioned for a vibrant performance in 2026, underpinned by improving investor sentiment and ample liquidity. The market began the day's proceedings on a strong footing, swiftly scaling to the intra-day peak of 174,805 in early trading. However, profit-taking triggered a mid-morning correction, which pulled the index down to the intra-day low of 174,121. Subsequently, investor confidence strengthened with the market moving in a narrow band and making a gradual recovery through the afternoon. The rally was primarily supported by stocks of energy and banking sectors, with impressive contribution, while fertiliser and cement shares faced a mild pressure amid profit-taking. The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at a fresh all-time high of 174,472.80, up 576.45 points, or 0.33%.
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KSE-100 crosses 175,000 level in early trade
There was no stopping the bulls at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossing the 175,000 level for the first time in history during the opening minutes of trading on the final session of the year on Wednesday. At 9:55am, the benchmark index was hovering at 175,074.18, an increase of 601.39 points or 0.34%. Buying was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, POL, PPL, OGDC, PSO, HBL, MEBL and MCB, traded in the green.
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OGDC plans partnerships in Libya, Vietnam
Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) is looking to explore hydrocarbon reserves overseas in association with Russian and Turkish energy companies. In this regard, OGDC – Pakistan's largest oil and gas explorer – intends to forge joint ventures with Russian energy giant Gazprom and Turkish Petroleum in Libya and Vietnam in onshore and offshore exploration zones, said sources while talking to The Express Tribune. The company's objective is to boost energy supplies from different countries to help reduce Pakistan's energy import bill. Indian oil and gas explorers too are working as joint-venture partners with different companies in overseas markets, including the United States, to secure energy supplies.
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Digital payments hit 2.8b transactions in Q1FY26: SBP
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has released its Quarterly Report on Payment Systems, highlighting growth in digital transactions and continued expansion of the country's payment ecosystem during the first quarter of fiscal year 2025-26. According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, total payment volumes increased to 2.8 billion transactions in the quarter, reflecting a 10% rise over the previous quarter. The value of retail payments reached Rs166 trillion, marking a 6% quarterly increase, largely driven by growing use of mobile app-based banking. Digital payment channels accounted for 2.5 billion transactions, representing 90% of total retail payments, compared with 87% in the same quarter last year. The value of transactions conducted through digital channels stood at Rs55 trillion, indicating broader adoption of digital payments across the economy.
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First Rs1b Skills Impact Bond launched
Pakistan on Tuesday launched its first private-capital-funded Pakistan Skills Impact Bond (PSIB), backed by a guarantee from the Ministry of Finance, to operationalise a Rs1 billion pilot tranche under a three-year instrument aimed at financing a scalable technical skills development programme. According to an official statement, the PSIB has been designed to deliver measurable outcomes, including certification, job placement and at least six-month job retention for each trainee. The initiative represents a shift from traditional input-based public spending towards outcome-driven, private-sector-enabled social investment. Under the proposed structure, subsequent tranches of the bond are expected to gradually link repayments to a nominal portion of trainee salaries. The objective is to embed long-term sustainability while monetising Pakistan's demographic dividend both domestically and through the export of certified skills. The launch ceremony also featured the signing of financing documents, including investor and issuer agreements. It was attended by senior government officials, development partners, private sector representatives and international organisations.
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