Banks continued to post strong profits in the third quarter of calendar year 2025, remaining the only sector with steady, low-risk earnings driven largely by government borrowing. According to a report by Topline Securities issued on Friday, listed banks recorded a combined profit of Rs170bn in 3Q2025, reflecting an increase of 8pc year-on-year (YoY) and 2pc quarter-on-quarter (QoQ). The ban
The relentless surge in global gold prices has weakened confidence in the US dollar, long considered the world’s safest reserve currency, with analysts warning that the greenback’s dominance in the international financial system is facing its strongest challenge in decades. Over the past year, gold prices have climbed sharply from $2,700 per ounce in October 2024 to $3,997 per ounce on Oct 31 a
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has linked the filing of 892,419 new tax returns for the tax year 2025 to rising public confidence in the government’s reform agenda. The premier’s remarks followed the Federal Board of Revenue’s announcement that the tax department received 5.912 million tax returns for tax year 2025, up from 5.025m returns in tax year 2024, marking a 17.65 per cent increase. The
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell three per cent in the first half of 2025, extending a two-year slump, as trade tensions, high interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainty kept investors cautious, the UN Conference on Trade and Development said in its latest ‘Global Investment Trends Monitor’. The drop was driven by developed economies, where cross-border mergers and acquisitions (
In a bid to deepen economic cooperation and uplift marginalised border communities, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal has proposed a series of high-level bilateral visits to strengthen cross-border trade and infrastructure ties with Iran. The minister floated the proposal during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri-Moghaddam on Saturday, during which both sides discussed measures to expand tr