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Govt \'likely\' to present FY2026-27 budget on Friday, says minister

The government is ‘likely’ to announce the federal budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the parliament on June 12 (Friday), said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday. In a post on the social media platform X, the minister shared that summaries for convening budget sessions in the National Assembly and the Senate on June 10 had been sent. Meanwhile, according to med

Dollar shaky as investors weigh rate outlook, Middle East worries

The US dollar wobbled on Thursday as new US strikes in the ​Middle East undermined sentiment, while a surge in May US consumer inflation to a three-year high kept investors uneasy about the Federal ‌Reserve’s monetary policy outlook. The currency markets have been subdued this week, as investors weighed the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East against a renewed cycle of tit-for-tat strikes betw

Gold hits over 6-month low on rate-hike concerns amid Mideast conflict

Gold hit a more than six-month low on Thursday, as fresh US strikes on Iran drove oil prices higher, deepening concerns ​around inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates. Fundamentals Spot gold was ‌down 0.2% at $4,063.87 per ounce, as of 0043 GMT, after hitting its lowest level since November 21 earlier in the day. US gold futures for August ​delivery were down 1.1% at $4,086.50. Th

Oil rises $2 as Iran announces closure of Strait of Hormuz following US strikes

Oil prices ‌climbed more than $2 a barrel Thursday as Iran declared the critical energy chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz, closed after the US launched additional strikes against Iran. Brent futures rose $2.30, or ​2.47%, to $95.40 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $2.60, ​or 2.89%, to $92.63. US crude futures gained more than $3 earlier in ⁠the session. Iran’s to

Equities see volatile start as KSE-100 swings amid Middle East tensions

A volatile trading was observed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index swinging both ways during trading on Wednesday amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. At 12:35pm, the benchmark index was hovering at 170,284.25, down by 46.31 points or 0.03%. A mixed trading pattern was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial ban