Business

Gold price nosedives by Rs5,100 per tola in Pakistan

Published

3 years ago

Farwa

Gold price settles at Rs140,500 per tola.
Precious commodity loses value as rupee gains ground.
Silver prices also decline in local market.

KARACHI: Gold prices dropped over 3% to a near two-and-a-half-month low on Tuesday as investors scrambled for cash to cover losses in other asset classes mainly driven by an appreciation of the rupee against the US dollar after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the revival of Pakistan’s bailout programme.

In data released by the All Sindh Sarafa Association, the gold price plummeted by Rs5,100 per tola and Rs4,372 per 10 grams to settle at Rs140,500 per tola and Rs120,456 per 10 grams on Tuesday.

Bullion has on occasion moved in tandem with equities recently, especially as sharp sell-offs in wider markets force investors to sell precious metals to meet margin calls and cover their losses.

Gold, considered a safe store of value during political and financial uncertainty, has been facing tough competition from another safe haven, the dollar, in which it is priced.

A stronger dollar makes gold expensive for holders of other currencies and while the greenback lost ground in the local market it has been strengthening against other currencies for the last many days.

The All Sindh Sarafa Association determines local prices based on rupee-dollar parity and international rates. According to market practice, local prices of gold usually go down on the rupee’s appreciation against the US dollar and rising prices of commodities in the international market.

In the international market, the price of the yellow metal gained $5 per ounce to settle at $1,733. Price remained subdued on expectations of more interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve.

It should be noted that the gold price stands below cost and is cheaper by Rs4,000 per tola compared to Dubai.

Meanwhile, silver prices in the domestic market receded by Rs10 per tola and Rs8.57 per 10 grams to settle at Rs1,520 per tola and Rs1,303.15 per 10 grams today.

Business

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

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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.