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Stocks rally as KSE-100 crosses 62,000 milestone

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KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) maintained a bullish run on the opening day of the week as it breached the 62,000 milestone, with hopes of the market continuing the positive momentum.

The benchmark KSE-100 index reached 62,912.61 points during the intraday trading. However, it closed lower at 62,493.05 points after gaining 801.80 points or 1.30%, up from yesterday’s close of 61,691.25 points.

Raza Jafri, head of equity at Intermarket Securities, said that despite the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November showing high inlfation, some market participants expect a rate cut in next week’s Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) meeting.

He added that cheap energy stocks were also attracting interest in hopes of improvement in circular debt, adding that there is “still a lot of room for money to rotate from fixed income into equities and it may have started to happen”.

Stocks ended last week on a triumphant note, with the benchmark index clinching a fresh all-time high on Friday, buoyed by a surge in foreign portfolio investment and a series of encouraging economic indicators, including a strengthened rupee following the rollover of a $3 billion deposit by Saudi Arabia.

“Stocks closed a new all-time high amid rupee stability after Saudi deposit rollover, strong key economic data and surging foreign portfolio investment,” said analyst Ahsan Mehanti at Arif Habib Limited.

“The reports of $30 million net FIPI over 6 year high during November 2023, and government deliberations over privatisation of ailing SOEs played a catalytic role in the record close.”

Overall trading volumes reached 734.2 million shares compared with Friday’s tally of 531.3 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs31.6 billion.

Shares of 390 companies were traded. Of these, 249 stocks closed higher, 122 fell, and 19 remained unchanged.

WorldCall Telecom was the volume leader trading in 57.07 million shares, gaining Rs0.03 to close at Rs1.57. It was followed by Fauji Cement with 41.9 million shares, gaining Rs1.21 to close at Rs20.07, and Oil & Gas Dev with 23.8 million shares, gaining Rs5.20 to close at Rs115.39.

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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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