The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, resisting pressure from President Donald Trump to implement cuts. In a 10-2 vote, the central bank maintained the federal funds rate at 3.50–3.75%, citing solid economic growth and stabilizing unemployment. Read More: Dollar faces pressure but remains dominant in global finance The Federal Open Market […]
Monetary Policy
Russia, Ukraine meet in UAE as Donbas dispute dominates talks
KYIV/ABU DHABI: Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Abu Dhabi on Friday for two days of talks aimed at resolving key territorial disputes, with no immediate sign of compromise over the four-year war sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Read More: UAE sends 30 tonnes of aid for war-hit Ukraine The territorial status […]
PSX hits fresh record as index crosses 189,000
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) scaled a fresh all-time high on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index crossing the 189,000-point mark amid volatile trading, as investor buying picked up ahead of a key monetary policy decision due next week. Read More: PSX rebounds, gains 655 points to close at 187,688 According to market data, the KSE-100 […]
KSE-100 climbs past 188,000 on rate cut hopes
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) surged to a new record on Tuesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index crossing the 188,000-point mark for the first time, as investors bet on a potential interest rate cut at the upcoming monetary policy meeting. Read More: PSX gains 860 points to stay above at 188,000 level The index closed […]
PSX surges to new peak on rate-cut hopes
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) climbed to a fresh all-time closing high on Monday, as investors brushed aside signs of economic weakness and continued accumulating equities in anticipation of another policy rate cut later this month. Read More: PSX reverses loss to gain over 1,500 points The benchmark index rallied as much as 2,783 points […]
Govt trims PIB yields amid strong demand
KARACHI: The government on Wednesday raised Rs546 billion through the sale of long-term Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIB) while sharply reducing cut-off yields by up to 70 basis points, pointing to expectations of lower interest rates ahead. Strong participation kept the borrowing within the Rs450bn auction target, although the government also secured additional sums through non-competitive […]
Government secures Rs1.08tr from treasury bills and bond auctions
The government raised more than Rs1 trillion through fresh auctions of treasury bills and long-term Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) on Wednesday, amid strong liquidity in the banking sector and expectations of further monetary easing. According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan, the government borrowed Rs979.3 billion through T-bills and another Rs108bn via […]
China to launch action plan to expand digital yuan use
China will launch an “action plan” on January 1 aimed at strengthening the management and operational framework of its digital currency, a senior central bank official said on Monday, signalling a renewed push to expand the use of the digital yuan. Read More: China’s new digital yuan: Lessons for Pakistan People’s Bank of China (PBoC) Deputy Governor […]
Bank of England cuts rates to 3.75% but signals caution
LONDON — The Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday lowered its benchmark interest rate to 3.75% from 4.0% after a narrow 5-4 vote by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The move marks the fourth rate reduction this year but comes with a warning that further cuts could be limited as policymakers weigh the risks of […]
SBP cuts policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5%
ISLAMABAD – The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday announced a 50 basis point reduction in its policy rate, bringing it down to 10.5 per cent. This marks the first rate cut since May, when the benchmark rate was last reduced and subsequently held at 11 per cent. Read More: SBP likely to hold interest rate at […]