News

Stocks rise in politically driven mixed trading

The stock market witnessed a mixed trading session on Wednesday as share prices opened on the lower side owing to the negative news flow. Arif Habib Ltd said share prices moved in both directions afterwards while investors remained vigilant in view of the ongoing political uncertainty. Their involvement stayed sluggish throughout the trading session with volumes drying up on the mainboard of

Banks’ cash supply creating problems for customers

The banks have failed to meet the surging demand for cash amid higher inflows of foreign exchange in Ramazan. It was also noted that dozens of automated teller machines (ATMs) were out of cash during the last two days as banks were not filling them up with the required cash. Currency dealers said the supply of cash from banks is either delayed or not provided when required. Banking customers

Petroleum imports dip on high prices

Imports of the petroleum group dipped 11.66 per cent year-on-year in the July-March period of FY23 owing to the sharp reduction in consumption as a result of the slowing down of the economy amid unprecedented inflation. The highest-ever increase in prices in the country’s history also contributed to lower consumption of petroleum products. At the same time, not only did the local production dec

First-ever compliance centre launched

Comm­erce Ministry has launched the first-ever National Compliance Centre (NCC) aimed to ensure international compliance requirements and facilitate the manufacturers and exporters. The NCC would have a federal-level office with provincial secretariats to ensure coordination at the national level. It will have an organisational structure consisting of eight compliance clusters, and additional c

Foreign direct investment jumps 62pc to $163m

For the second month in a row, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) jumped month-on-month by 62 per cent to $163.4 million in March against a net outflow of $30.4m in the same month last year, reported the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday. This could be surprising for many that FDI has been increasing despite persistent political and economic crises. The FDI inflows in March were the sec