Pakistan stocks end higher in volatile trade

Pakistan's stock market closed higher on Tuesday following a volatile trading session as investors adjusted their positions ahead of the long weekend during rollover week.

The benchmark index gained support from oil and gas exploration and marketing companies, as well as the power generation and distribution sectors, which collectively added 369 points to the index.

“The market closed in positive territory after a highly choppy session,” an analyst at Ismail Iqbal Securities said. “Investors actively repositioned themselves, contributing to the erratic trading pattern.”

The local market attempted to recover from Monday's sharp sell-off but faced resistance, according to an analyst at Topline Securities.

“Buying activity initially lifted the index, but the momentum was short-lived as profit-taking dragged it down,” the analyst said.

Market volatility was attributed to lingering uncertainty around the International Monetary Fund (IMF) review and the Standby Loan Agreement (SLA), keeping investors cautious.

KSE-100 index gained 0.17% or 193.55 points to close at 116,633.17 points.

Currency

US dollar steadied against PKR in the inter-bank market. Pakistani currency lost 5 paisas to close at 280.42. In the open market USD was trading at PKR 282.

Indian Stocks

Indian markets ended a volatile session on Tuesday, March 25, with modest gains, marking a seven-day winning streak. Early gains from a global rally were offset by weakness in banking, metals, and pharma sectors.

Technology stocks provided support, keeping indices in the green, while small-cap stocks faced heavy losses as the broader market turned negative.

BSE-100 index shed 0.19% or 46.3 points to close at 24,714.12 points.

DFM General Index shed 0.07% or 3.71 points to close at 5,080.69 points.

Crude Oil

Oil prices went up after US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to impose a 25% tax on countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela, starting April 2.

Prices are also supported by fresh U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports.

Brent crude prices increased by 0.68% to $73.50 per barrel.

Gold Prices

Gold prices are rising sharply, with analysts predicting it could reach $3,100 per ounce. The surge follows stable prices on Monday, driven by a weaker US dollar and uncertainty over US tariffs under President Trump.

Key factors include renewed Middle East conflicts, such as Israel's actions in Gaza, and global economic concerns related to potential tariffs.

International gold prices declined 0.50% to close at $ 3,023.97 per ounce. In the local market, gold prices declined by PKR 800 to stand at PKR 317,800 per tola.