Equity investors in the country have had a great time over the past nine months, as equity valuations at local bourses rocketed to levels never before seen in history. Now as the KSE 100-index is sitting pretty above the 18,500 points-level and the General Elections approaching, many are opting to cash out and book gains.
In CY12, Habib Bank seemed protected against the headwinds blowing towards the industry. However, the countrys largest deposit-gathering bank doesn appear immune this time around.
Technologys role in agriculture cannot be ignored. Pakistan possesses both a large agrarian economy and an impressive cellular teledensity (68 percent). Pakistan Telecommunication Authority estimates that telecom sector has reached over 90 percent of the countrys districts and towns. So, there is likelihood that an increasing number of farmers are using mobile phones today, compared to, say, five years ago.
Governments in Western Europe and North America were quick to realise the potential of Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) in fueling economic growth, creating high-value-added jobs, and making efficiency gains in business sectors. However, this lax view that ICTs are about just communication and correspondence is still prevalent among many developing economies, including Pakistan.
The monetary assets are growing faster but not in the right direction. Currency-in-circulation is outpacing the spike in the demand and time liabilities, stressing the liquidity in the market. The overall monetary assets grew by 8.7 percent in a little over 10 months this fiscal year compared to eight percent in the corresponding period last year.
With the paints segment demerged and domestic cotton prices gradually moving up north, ICI Pakistan is preparing for relatively improved results in CY13.
