KARACHI:

Trading was halted at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) following a massive show of tranquillity on Wednesday, as peace prospects brought investors back into a vibrant mood, with equities surging sharply on optimism over potential de-escalation in the US-Israeli aggression towards Iran. The benchmark KSE-100 index initially climbed to 153,615 points (+3.28%) and later extended gains to 156,204.89, up 7,461 points (+5.02%)

The rally remained broad-based and aggressive, with the session recording a high of 156,233.38 and a low of 151,262.76. Meanwhile, traded volume exceeded 228 million shares, reflecting strong investor participation.

Read: PSX rebounds on investor trust

The PSX, in an official notice, announced that a market halt was triggered after the KSE-30 index rose by 5% from the previous trading day’s close, activating the exchange’s circuit breaker mechanism. Following the threshold breach, all equity markets were suspended at 12:03:45pm, and all outstanding orders were automatically cancelled.

As per the PSX announcement, trading will resume after the cooling-off period with the following schedule: pre-open at 1:03:45pm and full market reopening at 1:08:45pm.

The sharp surge signals a notable shift in sentiment, with investors returning to the market on an improving geopolitical outlook, positioning equities for continued strength if stability persists.