Positive sentiments return, KSE-100 up over 2,900 points in early trade

Trading kicked off at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on a positive note amid days of selling pressure, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining over 2,900 points during the opening hours of trading on Wednesday. At 10:40am, the benchmark index was hovering at 176,084.86, following a gain of 2,934.45 points or 1.69%. Buying momentum 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 HBL, MCB, MEBL, MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, HUBCO and PSO, traded in the green. Pakistan’s current account returned to surplus in January 2026, supported by higher inflows of workers’ remittances. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the current account posted a surplus of $121 million in January 2026, compared with a deficit of $265 million in December 2025. On a year-on-year basis, the external balance also improved, as it also posted $393 million deficit in January 2025. On Tuesday, PSX remained under press