Business

Gold declines from historic high

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Rate of gold (24 carats) decreases by Rs2,700 per tola.
Drop comes amid fluctuations in international market.
Sliver prices in domestic market remain unchanged.

Gold price in Pakistan Thursday dropped more than Rs2,000 a day after hitting a historic high, with analysts terming the fluctuations in the international market as the reason behind today’s decline.

According to data provided by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the rate of gold (24 carats) decreased by Rs2,700 per tola and Rs2,314 per 10 grams to reach Rs237,300 and Rs203,447, respectively.

AA Commodities Director Adnan Agar told Geo.tv that although the rate in the international market had increased, the price of the yellow metal witnessed a drop as there were jitters in the market due to the uncertainty surrounding the US debt ceiling.

The drop in gold prices was witnessed as the dollar advanced, while markets assessed US inflation data to gauge the Federal Reserve’s next policy move.

“Near-term debt ceiling talks and US macro data will influence the gold price. Longer term, it could still go higher driven by a weaker dollar and lower real rates,” UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

In the international market, the rate of gold stood at $2,038 per ounce after an increase of $7.

The precious metal’s price rose to Rs240,000 per tola after it saw a massive increase of Rs9,900 due to the ongoing political turmoil that came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

With the economy already in dire straits, people prefer to buy yellow metal to protect themselves against inflation and currency depreciation.

The weekly inflation hit an all-time high of 48.35% year-on-year (YoY) with prices of chicken and wheat flour increasing during the seven-day period ending May 4.

Meanwhile, it seems that Pakistan may not get a crucial tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) anytime soon, as the country’s loan programme is not on the agenda of the lender’s Executive Board till May 17.

The delay in the revival of the IMF programme negatively impacts the currency market which, in turn, bolsters the demand for gold.

Data shared by the association showed that the sliver rates stood unchanged at Rs3,100 per tola and Rs2,657.7 per 10 grams.

Business

Pakistan’s gold prices are still declining; see the most recent

Published

11 hours ago

Farwa

The price of 10-gram gold reduced by Rs943 to settle at Rs207,733, while the price of gold dropped by Rs1200 to close at Rs242,300 a tola, according to the Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

In the global market, the price of the precious metal fell by $10 to $2,349 per ounce, resulting in losses.

At 04:48 GMT, the spot price of gold had dropped by 0.2% to $2,354.77 per ounce. In the previous session, prices reached a two-week high.

American gold futures dropped 0.6% to $2,361.

Spot silver decreased by 0.4% to $28.03 per ounce, while palladium remained steady at $978.03 and platinum decreased by 0.1% to $992.89.

Business

Pakistan and the IMF begin talks for a new loan.

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

Pakistan is requesting a $6 to $8 billion bailout package from the international lender over the next three to four years to address its financial troubles.

A mission team led by Nathan Porter, the IMF’s Mission Chief in Pakistan, is meeting with a Pakistani delegation led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Islamabad may face more difficult options, such as raising power and gas bills.

Mr. Aurganzeb informed the IMF team that the country’s economy has improved as a result of the IMF loan package, and Islamabad is ready to sign a new loan programme to further develop.

The IMF mission expressed satisfaction with Islamabad’s efforts to revive the country’s struggling economy.

The IMF praised Pakistan’s economic growth in its staff report earlier this week, but warned that the outlook remains challenging, with very high downside risks.

The country nearly avoided collapse last summer, and its $350 billion economy has stabilized since the end of the last IMF program, with inflation falling to roughly 17% in April from a record high of 38% last May.

Business

Petrol prices are likely to drop significantly beginning May 16.

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

According to sources, the government is set to decrease petrol prices by Rs 14 per litre and diesel prices by Rs 10 on May 16 for the next fortnight’s revision.

Last month, the government reduced the price of fuel and high-speed diesel by Rs5.45 and Rs8.42 per fortnight, respectively.

The current fuel price is Rs288.49 per litre, while the HSD price is Rs281.96.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell further on Monday, as signs of sluggish fuel consumption and comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials dimmed optimism for interest rate reduction, which may slow growth and reduce fuel demand in the world’s largest economy.

Brent crude prices down 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $82.54 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 19 cents, or 0.2%, to $78.07 per barrel.

Oil prices also declined on signals of poor demand, according to ANZ analysts, as gasoline and distillate inventories in the United States increased in the week before the start of the driving season.

Refiners throughout the world are dealing with falling diesel profitability as new refineries increase supply and warm weather in the northern hemisphere and weak economic activity reduce demand.