Stocks post modest gains on select buying

Dawn reported that the KSE-100 ended Wednesday at 169,969.33, up 368.92 points or 0.22 per cent, breaking a two-session losing run. The index had climbed above 171,000 during the session on selective buying, with an intraday peak of 171,492.53. Profit-taking and worries over the US-Iran conflict, however, erased most of that advance before the close.

Trading activity improved on the previous session, with volume up 4.08 per cent at 591.23 million shares and turnover at Rs20.19 billion. Habib Bank, Meezan Bank, Lucky Cement, United Bank, Systems Ltd and Mari Energies were part of a group of ten stocks that jointly added 467 points.

On the policy side, the Finance Ministry introduced a strategy to deepen the domestic debt market by improving secondary trading, widening the pool of investors and supporting rupee-based instruments. Separately, media reports said Pakistan is weighing whether power plants and private firms may import LNG directly, a step meant to boost energy supplies while avoiding extra burden on public finances. Analysts said 170,000 remains a crucial psychological marker, while the IMF review, tensions in the Middle East and crude oil pricing are seen as the main factors shaping direction.