Business

Gold declines from historic high

Published

2 years 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

E&P Companies Will Invest $5 Billion in Pakistan’s Petroleum Industry

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Over the next three years, local and foreign companies involved in Pakistan’s oil and gas exploration and production sector have shown a strong desire to invest more than $5 billion in the nation’s energy sector.

Recent changes to the Petroleum Policy and the implementation of an exclusive tight gas policy, which provide better incentives and a more investor-friendly regulatory framework, are credited with the increase in investor confidence.

These strategic changes are expected to boost domestic energy production, open up new avenues for growth, and draw large amounts of both domestic and foreign investment.

Business

With inflation slowing, the SBP is anticipated to lower the policy rate for the eighth time in a row.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Businesspeople anticipate another reduction in the policy rate when the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) releases the updated rate.

The interest rate for the upcoming two months will be announced by the central bank. It is still unclear if the rate will stay the same or be lowered to reflect stakeholder expectations.

According to experts, the policy rate will be lowered in order to further boost the nation’s economic sector.

Interest rates may be lowered for the seventh time in a row if the inflation rate declines significantly more than anticipated.

In its last six sessions, the MPC had cut the policy rate by 10 percent. In January 2025, it decreased the rate by one percent to 12pc.

12PC POLICY RATE

In January, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced cut in key policy rate by 100 basis points (bps) to 12 percent from 13pc in line with expectations of the business community.

The policy rate, which had been at 22 percent since June 2024, was slashed by 1,000 basis points to 12 percent.

The SBP governor said the decision was taken with careful consideration. “Although inflation is expected to decline next month (February), core inflation remains a pressing concern,” he stated.

Ahmed highlighted strong remittance inflows and robust export growth as key factors supporting the current account.