PSX opens week with 2,082-point surge

Bulls stayed firmly in control at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday, driving the benchmark KSE-100 index higher by more than 2,000 points as aggressive buying in banking, energy and cement stocks kept the market's upward momentum intact. The bourse opened in positive territory and extended its gains throughout the session, supported by robust interest in sectors such as commercial banks, cement, auto assemblers, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration firms, oil marketing companies and refineries. The KSE-100 index settled at 187,454.69 with handsome gains of 2,082.49 points, or 1.12%. During the session, the index touched the intra-day high of 187,546.36 after slipping to the low of 185,910.39, reflecting sustained buying interest. Analysts attributed the rally to investor optimism about Pakistan's improving macroeconomic outlook, easing monetary conditions and institutional buyin...