Stocks Surge as Finance Bill 2025 Passes

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw a resurgence of investment as the government successfully approved the Finance Bill 2025. The KSE-100 Index experienced a significant surge, gaining approximately 3,200 points in the initial hours of trading on Friday.

As of 2:35 pm, the benchmark index stood at 125,231.84, reflecting an increase of 3,185.38 points, or 2.61%.

Broad-based purchasing activity was evident across multiple sectors. These included automobile manufacturers, cement producers, commercial banking institutions, oil and gas exploration firms, oil marketing companies (OMCs), and refineries, all of which showed positive trading activity. Key stocks such as MARI, OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, SSGC, HBL, MCB, and UBL also traded positively, contributing to the index’s rise.

On Thursday, the National Assembly sanctioned the Finance Bill 2025, which outlines a total expenditure of Rs17.57 trillion for the fiscal year 2025-26. The approval came with certain revisions and the backing of coalition partners.

The bill’s passage involved a clause-by-clause review, during which all amendments proposed by the opposition were turned down.

In contrast, the PSX endured a volatile session on Thursday, with the KSE-100 Index falling due to consistent selling pressure and a cautious attitude among investors.

The KSE-100 Index decreased by 715.18 points on Thursday, settling at 122,046.46 points.

Globally, Asian markets achieved their highest levels in over three years, mirroring a rally on Wall Street. However, the dollar faced challenges amid concerns regarding the Federal Reserve’s autonomy and expectations of imminent rate reductions.

Global stock indices are poised to conclude the week positively, with concerns about geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and uncertainties surrounding tariffs and trade agreements temporarily taking a backseat.

MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific stocks, excluding those from Japan, reached its highest point since November 2021 during the session. It was last trading 0.2% higher and is on track for a 3% weekly gain.

Japan’s Nikkei index rose by 1.5%, surpassing the 40,000 threshold for the first time in five months.

Contributing to the optimistic atmosphere was news of an agreement between Washington and Beijing to expedite rare earth shipments to the United States.

US Treasury Secretary also mentioned that he has urged Republicans in Congress to remove the Section 899 retaliatory tax proposal from their tax and spending bill, following an accord between Washington and the Group of Seven industrial nations.

This information reflects an update during the trading day.