The stock market extended its record-setting run in the outgoing week, with the benchmark KSE-100 index nearing the 170,000 milestone, buoyed by strong investor interest despite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) signalling concerns during the ongoing second review under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility. The index gained 6,733 points or 4.15pc on a weekly basis to settle at 168,990, acc
Pakistan’s business environment is undergoing a period of visible transition. The undocumented economy continues to challenge tax-compliant companies that find it increasingly difficult to compete. The recent transition of Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of the world’s largest consumer goods firms, away from direct operations in Pakistan has drawn attention precisely because the country is consumption
Bitcoin reached a new record high on Sunday, rising above the $125,000 mark. The cryptocurrency reached $125,689, shooting above its previous August record of around $124,500. Bitcoin has enjoyed a strong upward momentum, with investors cautious about the United States’ government shutdown. Gains in US shares have also supported bitcoin’s rise, while investors have looked to safe haven as
Pakistan has recorded one of the “sharpest drops” in sovereign default risk globally and now ranks as the second-best performer in the world, according to Credit Default Swap (CDS)-implied data reported by Bloomberg, adviser to the finance minister Khurram Schehzad said on Sunday. A Credit Default Swap-implied probability estimates the likelihood that a borrower — such as a company or a country
Banks in Pakistan are generally not structured to serve widely dispersed small-ticket borrowers. Lending money to smallholder farmers and small enterprises scattered across the country is often considered too risky and costly; no wonder their access to formal banking credit remains constrained. However, digital technology is changing this even if its adoption by traditional commercial banks is