ogood2054

IPOs: hunger for corporate paper

Global trends show that listing a family-owned conglomerate allows original sponsors to smoothly cede control to professional management. This institutionalisation protects solid businesses from failing. photo: file KARACHI: The record-breaking, Rs5.8 billion and five-second subscription of the Service Long March (SLM) Tyres’ 75% share in the IPO highlights the massive pent-up demand for quality corporate…

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PSX gains over 2,500 points as US-Iran peace hopes fuel bullish rally

KSE-100 surges past 170,000 intraday on strong institutional buying, easing geopolitical tensions KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended strong bullish momentum on Monday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index hovered around 170,423.30 points at 1:24pm, up 2,579.06 points or 1.54% in intraday trade. During the session, the benchmark index touched an intraday high of 171,519.26…

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Heritage site faces commercialisation fears

Ownership dispute remains pending while future of historic structure stays uncertain RAWALPINDI: A 200-year-old historic building located at Committee Chowk on Murree Road, opposite the shrine of Talian Shah, has been vacated by the education department after more than six decades, reviving speculation over a major commercial redevelopment plan allegedly backed by one of Rawalpindi’s…

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Tariff protection hurts consumers

Open competition forces firms to invest in productivity and innovation, not rent-seeking KARACHI: As the announcement of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, FY27, draws near, lobbies and special interest groups representing their respective industries and trade associations make a push for favourable fiscal policies to policymakers. Although the main focus is to lower…

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Malaysia prepared to take Israel to ICJ over treatment of Gaza flotilla activists

Kuala Lumpur will initiate proceedings once lawyers complete collection of information, supporting evidence The Malaysian government is prepared to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the alleged kidnapping and torture of activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, local media reported Monday. Amirudin Shari, Chief Minister of the Malaysian…

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Looking beyond preferences scheme

While Pakistan can continue reforming its tariff regime over the coming years before pursuing major bilateral agreements, it cannot afford to ignore regional developments. photo:file ISLAMABAD: The summit meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping was overshadowed by rising tensions in the Middle East, yet trade issues remained high on the agenda. While…

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Poor tax design, not evasion, keeps ratio low

Behavioural fixes like pre-filled returns and ring-fenced funds could boost compliance Research conducted by Australia’s tax authorities revealed that the first communication a new taxpayer receives affects their long-run compliance behaviour. photo: file ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio has remained around 9% to 10% for several decades now – a figure that is alarmingly low for…

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