News

Oil steady as market weighs Venezuela, Russia supply risks

Oil prices held steady on Tuesday after rising more than 2% in the previous session, as the US said it might sell the Venezuelan crude it has seized, while Ukraine’s attacks on Russian vessels and piers heightened fears of supply disruption. Brent crude futures edged lower by 6 cents, or 0.1%, to $62.01 per barrel by 0440 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 9 cents, or 0.16%, to

KSE-100 gains over 500 points in intra-day trade

After a brief selling pressure observed in the opening minutes, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) traded firmly in positive territory on Monday, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index extended its upward momentum amid improved investor sentiment. At 12:20pm, the benchmark index was hovering at 171,919.37, a gain of 514.89 points or 0.3%. Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including fertili

Rising trade deficit exposes Pakistan’s structural weaknesses

The debate on the economic structure and its consequences for the balance-of-payments crisis has become ever more prevalent as imports start increasing, subsequently leading to a higher trade deficit. Policymakers often start to panic as calls are made to curtail imports. Several key studies on the topic have highlighted low productivity, the inability to accumulate knowledge and generate the n

Boosting exports: 10 policy priorities

Despite recent stabilisation efforts, Pakistan's economic outlook remains constrained by a persistent structural weakness: limited and narrowly based exports. For an economy of over 250 million people, reliance on remittances and episodic capital inflows cannot substitute for a durable export-led growth model. Sustained improvements in productivity, employment, and external balance require a syste

Pakistan’s inflation stabilises, highlighting core cost challenges

Inflation in Pakistan has shown notable moderation in the early months of FY26, offering policymakers a degree of relief after several years of severe price instability. According to official data, headline inflation has remained within the State Bank of Pakistan's (SBP) medium-term target range of 5-7% during July-November FY26. This marks a significant departure from the double-digit inflatio