Connect with us

Business

Gold rate jumps to another all-time high in Pakistan

Published

on

  • Rate of gold (24 carats) increases by Rs1,400 per tola.
  • Gold’s rate also sees a rise in the international market.
  • Silver rate also surges to an all-time high. 

Gold prices jumped to another all-time high in Pakistan as the economic prospects remain gloomy amid a stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme.

According to data provided by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the rate of gold (24 carats) increased by Rs1,400 per tola and Rs1,200 per 10 grams to reach Rs226,900 and Rs194,530, respectively.

The rise in the gold price also came as the precious metal’s value increased in the international market by $5 to settle at $2,022 per ounce.

Gold prices ticked up as the dollar eased and economic risks prevailed, while investors prepared for US inflation data to gauge the Federal Reserve’s policy path.

The bullion rate has been on a steady uptrend in Pakistan, as economic fundamentals weakened, the rupee depreciated and inflation soared to record highs. During such times, people prefer to buy the yellow metal to protect themselves against inflation and currency depreciation.

There has been no relief for the masses as the weekly inflation hit an all-time high of 48.35% year-on-year (YoY) with prices of chicken and wheat flour increasing during the seven-day period ending May 4.

Meanwhile, it seems that Pakistan may not get the crucial tranche from the IMF anytime soon, as the country’s loan programme is not on the agenda of the lender’s Executive Board till May 17.

Pakistan and the IMF have been discussing fiscal policy measures in the review since February, aiming to resume stalled funding of $1.1 billion due in November from a $6.5-billion programme agreed in 2019.

The delay in the revival of the IMF programme negatively impacts the currency market which, in turn, bolsters the demand for gold.

Data shared by the association also showed that the price of silver hit record highs after they increased by Rs30 per tola and Rs25.72 per 10 grams to settle at Rs2,900 and Rs2,486.28, respectively. 

Business

Robust activity lets PSX climb above 115,000 level again.

Published

on

By

On Friday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) resumed its upward trend, crossing 115,000 points once more.

The PSX had strong action in the morning session, as the KSE-100 index increased by 1,000 points to 115,138.

The notoriously volatile PSX closed Thursday at 114,037 points, up 594 points.

DOLLAR DEPRECIES

Meanwhile, in the interbank market this morning, the US dollar fell 7 paisas to Rs278.65 against the Pakistani rupee.

Continue Reading

Business

SBP will announce monetary policy on January 27.

Published

on

By

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will release its monetary policy on Monday.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the SBP will convene on the first day of the following week to make decisions on monetary policy.

The Monetary Policy decision will be announced by Governor SBP Jameel Ahmad at a news conference on the same day after the MPC meeting, according to an official release.

In December, the central bank reduced policy rates by 200 basis points (bps) to 13 percent.

“In November 2024, headline inflation fell to 4.9 percent year on year, meeting the MPC’s estimates. This decrease was mostly caused by the ongoing decline in food inflation and the phasing out of the impact of the gas tariff increase in November 2023,” SBP stated in an official release.

“However, the Committee noted that core inflation, at 9.7 percent, is proving to be sticky, while consumer and business inflation expectations remain volatile.” To that end, the Committee restated its previous assessment that inflation may remain volatile in the short term before stabilizing within the target range.

“At the same time, growth prospects have slightly improved, as evidenced by a recent increase in high-frequency indicators of economic activity.” Overall, the Committee concluded that its approach of gradual policy rate decreases is keeping inflationary and external account pressures under control while promoting long-term economic growth.

Continue Reading

Business

Finance Minister Meets With World Leaders at World Economic Forum in Davos

Published

on

By

During his attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has met with officials of organisations and leaders of many nations.
Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, Muhammad Younas, met with Mohammad Aurangzeb.
On the fringes of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2025 Opening Banquet, there was an informal meeting.
Additionally, the Finance Minister met with Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Both leaders discussed economic cooperation and bilateral ties.
Muhammad Aurangzeb also had a meeting with Dp World’s Rizwan Soomro and Yuvraj Narayan.
They talked about how to strengthen Pakistan’s logistics and infrastructure systems to support trade.
“The Pakistani government is committed to advancing joint projects and values partnerships in both business-to-business and business-to-government cooperation,” the finance minister added.

Continue Reading

Trending