Stocks stage mild recovery on value-hunting

Dawn reported that the Pakistan Stock Exchange ended a four-session losing streak on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 closing at 170,512 points. The index gained 1,646.82 points, or 0.98 per cent, having fallen as low as 166,141.18 during the session. Buyers returned on attractive valuations despite lingering concerns over Middle East supply disruptions and energy costs.

Trading opened in negative territory after strikes on Saudi energy sites by Houthi forces drove up crude prices, according to Topline Securities. Later, reports that a six-member Gulf bloc is weighing talks with Iranian officials next week over the Strait of Hormuz pulled oil prices down and improved sentiment.

Trading activity improved, with volume up 9.35 per cent to 687 million shares and turnover up 24.75 per cent to Rs33.7bn. Arif Habib Ltd said the rebound trimmed the weekly decline to 2.75 per cent. Kot Addu Power Company reported 4QFY26 earnings per share of Rs1.14, rising 7.7 times year-on-year, on a gross profit of Rs507m.