News

Oil, gold rise on spike in Middle East tensions

Oil prices jumped more than 4 per cent, gold gained and the US dollar edged up against the euro on Monday as military clashes between Israel and Hamas fuelled worries that the conflict could spread beyond Gaza. Emerging market stocks fell, while major US stock indexes were slightly higher in early afternoon New York trading, recovering from losses earlier in the day. Israel’s shekel weakened

Crackdown yields $900m surplus in a month: ECAP

The ongoing crackdown against illegal forex trading and smuggling has so far yielded up to $900 million surplus in the open market which was deposited in banks, said currency dealers. Currency dealers said the much-needed administrative measures produced extremely valuable results for the economy but the policy reforms for Afghan transit and smuggling of Iranian oil also supported saving the ha

Index posts 2.7pc weekly gain amid positive indicators

Trading on the stock exchange commenced on a positive note in the outgoing week fuelled by the contraction of the trade deficit by 42 per cent on a year-on-year basis to $5.3 billion in the first quarter of 2023-24. Arif Habib Ltd said the expectation of robust financial results for the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year kept the stock market participants’ interest alive. Urea and DAP sal

College degrees losing their shine?

Close to 2010, following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 and the ensuing economic downturn, middle-class Pakistanis began to lose their unwavering trust in higher education. By 2011, over 50 per cent of graduates and post-graduates found themselves without work or in jobs that didn’t fully utilise their qualifications. While a bachelor’s (or master’s) degree was once seen as a surefire pa

The research and development imperative for businesses

In today’s dynamic global economy, research and development (R&D) serve as a pivotal driver of progress, nurturing the birth of innovative products, state-of-the-art technologies, and revolutionary methods to connect with clients to enhance market share and profit margins. Nevertheless, amidst its unquestionable importance, a worrisome trend has surfaced within Pakistan’s business realm — a hes