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Bulls return to PSX after IMF greenlights govt’s circular debt plan

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The bulls returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Wednesday after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the government’s plans to reduce the circular debt balance.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index closed the day on a positive note with gain of 797.78 points or 1.68% to settle at 48,227.60.

Bulls return to PSX after IMF greenlights govts circular debt plan

Arif Habib Limited’s Head of Research Tahir Abbas stated that for the last two days, bears were dominating the market as there was “selling pressure”.

Abbas said that the “selling pressure” was there as the investors were busy in profit taking and there was uncertainty with regard to the caretaker prime minister and who will take over from Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the interim setup.

“Apart from that, there were question marks on circular debt due to which we saw selling in two days. This has reversed today and the market saw positive momentum,” he added.

Another reason for the bulls’ domination of the marker as per the expert was the finalisation of a caretaker setup. “Apart from that there was news that the IMF has given the go-ahead on the circular debt resolution due to which we saw across-the-board positive momentum.”

On the other hand, capital market expert Saad Ali said that the market rejuvenated after yesterday’s correction following the new development related to the energy sector.

“There was news that the IMF has approved the government’s plans to reduce the circular debt balance in the gas chain through the dividends of state-owned E&Ps,” said Ali.

A day earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCOE) approved the revised Circular Debt Management Plan (CDMP).

It has been envisaged under the revised the CDMP that the quarterly tariff adjustments and fuel adjustments would be charged from consumers in a timely manner after raising the baseline tariff. There would be no untargeted subsidy for any sector.

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

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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.

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Pakistan and the IMF begin talks for a new loan.

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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.

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Petrol prices are likely to drop significantly beginning May 16.

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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.

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