ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has approved the proposed acquisition of shareholding in Rafhan Maize Products Company by a consortium comprising entities of the Nishat Group and associated individuals, following a phase-I review conducted under Section 11 of the Competition Act, 2010. The transaction involves the acquisition of shares of Rafhan Maize Products…
KARACHI: Trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained highly volatile on Tuesday, as investors reacted to fresh macroeconomic data and shifting intra-day sentiment. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s trade deficit widened by 3.82% year-on-year (YoY) in April 2026 to over $4.0 billion, which weighed on investor confidence early in…
Gold prices continued their downward trend on Tuesday in both international and local markets, with notable declines recorded in the rates of gold and silver. In the international bullion market, the price of gold per ounce fell by $21, bringing it down to $4,555. Following the global trend, prices in the local sarafa market also…
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the week on a strong footing, where the benchmark KSE-100 index surged in early trading. Investor sentiment was buoyed by expectations of a potential peace agreement between the US and Iran. Optimism around stable global oil prices further supported broad-based buying across the market. At 9:34 am, the…
KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday injected more than Rs4.6 trillion into the banking system through conventional and Shariah-compliant open market operations (OMOs). The central bank conducted reverse repo purchase operations with tenors of two and four days, accepting a total of Rs4.388 trillion against offers of Rs4.865 trillion. The injection was…
LAHORE: Total cement despatches increased by 11.14% in April 2026, rising to 3.890 million tonnes from 3.500 million tonnes in the same month last year, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) on Monday. Local despatches by the industry during April 2026 were 3.217 million tonnes, compared with 2.677 million…
KARACHI: Few remarks capture the ambiguity of central banking as sharply as former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan’s oft?quoted line: “I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I’m not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant.” It is a fitting lens through which to view the…
Taxes on inputs for export goods do not generate sustainable revenue; they merely reduce export volumes ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s value-added garments sector has long been regarded as the country’s most promising engine for export growth. It combines labour intensity with high value addition, links backward industries such as spinning and weaving with global markets, and has…
Import dependence, global shocks push Pakistan to explore low-carbon alternatives ISLAMABAD: Recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have once again highlighted Pakistan’s continued reliance on imported energy and the associated exposure to global price volatility. With around 85% of oil demand and a growing share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) sourced from international markets,…
KARACHI: China has emerged as a global technology powerhouse, leading in key sectors such as 5G, electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy, and artificial intelligence (AI), in a dramatic transformation from world’s workshop to a technological behemoth, according to incyber.org. Today, China leads in 53 out of 64 critical technologies globally, as tracked by the Australian…