KSE-100 climbs 0.58% Arif Habib-led consortium secures 75% stake in 135b deal
\n Islamabad
\nThe KSE-100 Index posted a solid +0.58% gain on a week-on-week basis, closing the period on a positive note amid strong investor sentiment.
\nThe primary catalyst was the landmark privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), finalized at Rs135 billion (approximately US$480 million), marking one of the largest and most significant privatization deals in Pakistan\u2019s history.
\nThe successful auction, won by the Arif Habib-led consortium for a 75% stake, signals a major step toward reducing the government\u2019s burden from loss-making state-owned enterprises and boosting private sector confidence.
\nA positive session was observed at the exchange, as the index gained to close at an all-time high of 172,400 level (up by +0.92%).
\nTop positive contributions to the index came from ENGROH, PPL, SYS, NBP, and MLCF, as they cumulatively added +774 points to the index, according to Topline Securities. Traded value-wise, BOP (Rs3.1b), NBP (Rs2.94b), SEARL (Rs2.05b), PPL (Rs2.03b), PTC (Rs1.51b), and MLCF (Rs1.35b) dominated the trading activity. Traded value and volume for the day stood at 797 million shares and Rs38b, respectively.
\nThis positive momentum was further supported by the State Bank of Pakistan\u2019s (SBP) recent 50 basis points policy rate cut to 10.5%, which continued to encourage investment in equities by lowering borrowing costs and improving liquidity. Trading activity remained robust, with average daily volumes at 736 million shares and a value of Rs31.5b.
\nAnalysts view this as a turning point for market reforms, with the PIA deal expected to pave the way for more divestments and enhanced economic efficiency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KSE-100 climbs 0.58% Arif Habib-led consortium secures 75% stake in 135b deal Islamabad The KSE-100 Index posted a solid +0.58% gain on a week-on-week basis, closing the period on a positive note amid strong investor sentiment. The primary catalyst was the landmark privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), finalized at Rs135 billion (approximately US$480 million), […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-522347","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n