Iran-US ceasefire lifts Pakistan Stock Exchange
Bullish momentum was observed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire amid Pakistan’s mediation efforts, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index gained over 12,000 points during the opening minutes of trading on Wednesday.
At 9:37am, the benchmark index was hovering at 164,035.83, up by 12,362.38 points or 8.15%.
Following the jump, a market halt was triggered at 9:37 am.
“All TRE Certificate Holders are hereby informed that due to a 5% increase in the KSE-30 index from the previous trading day’s close of the same, a market halt has been triggered as per PSX Regulations, and all equity-based markets have been suspended accordingly,” read the notice.
The market will open at 10:42am.
Across-the-board buying interest was observed in key sectors, including cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including ARL, HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, MCB, HBL and UBL, traded in the green.
Economic experts said that Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to ease United States–Iran tensions triggered a sharp sentiment reversal at the PSX, with a peace-driven rally highlighting both the rapid unwinding of risk premiums and the market’s underlying upside potential.
US President Donald Trump, following talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, said on Tuesday that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face widespread attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the ceasefire and invited delegations from the US and Iran to Islamabad, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.
On Tuesday, PSX witnessed another volatile trading session with the benchmark KSE-100 Index moving within a wide range before closing in positive territory, as late-session buying driven by optimism over ceasefire developments supported investor sentiment.
Reporter: Kawish Memon