The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its strong performance on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index rising by 1,761.66 points, or 0.98%, to close at 181,776.59.
Investor buying was seen across major sectors, including automobile companies, cement, chemicals, commercial banks, fertilizer, oil and gas exploration, oil marketing companies, and power generation firms.
The latest gain followed Wednesday’s strong rally, when the KSE-100 Index crossed the 180,000-point mark for the first time in 16 trading sessions after gaining nearly 2,932 points.
Meanwhile, data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed that the country’s trade deficit widened by 25.17% year-on-year to $3.948 billion in July 2026. Exports stood at $2.939 billion, while imports reached $6.887 billion.
In the international market, oil prices declined as investors watched the Iran-Oman talks and the possibility of a US-Iran agreement that could help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell to $79.08 per barrel, while US WTI crude dropped to $74.69 per barrel.
