News Archives for Business & Finance - 2026-03-02

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Business & Finance - 2026-03-02

Business & Finance

FM Aurangzeb meets IMF mission for third EFF review

Meeting serves as kick-off session for ongoing programme reviews

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:50pm

Companies

Etihad Airways resumes some operations, commercial flights still halted amid Iran conflict

Some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights may operate in coordination with UAE authorities

Published 02 Mar, 2026 07:28pm

Stocks

Most Gulf markets fall as Iran retaliates, UAE suspends trading

Qatar Islamic Bank declined 4.6%
Muscat’s index climbed 1.1%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 07:18pm

Business & Finance

Cabinet committee to meet daily as govt tightens oversight of energy markets

The decision follows a meeting of the Committee to Monitor Petrol rices in the wake of the emerging situation in the region

Published 02 Mar, 2026 05:48pm

Commodities

Aluminium hits one-month high as focus turns to Middle Eastern supplies

Benchmark aluminium on the London Metal Exchange was up 3.1% at $3,236 a metric ton

Published 02 Mar, 2026 05:09pm

Financial

India bonds slip as Middle East war worsens macro backdrop

Benchmark 6.48% 2035 bond yield ended at 6.6753% against the previous close of 6.6601%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 04:57pm

Commodities

Palm oil mirrors strength in Chicago rival, crude lends support

Benchmark palm oil contract for May delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 104 ringgit, or 2.57%, to 4,146 ringgit a metric ton

Published 02 Mar, 2026 04:32pm

South Asia

India, Canada aim for trade pact by year-end, strike uranium deal

They agreed on a $2.6 billion uranium deal and will work on building small modular nuclear reactors

Published 02 Mar, 2026 04:27pm

Forex

Indian rupee drops to one-month low as escalating Middle East war keeps traders on edge

Dollar sales by foreign banks also helped curb losses in the Indian rupee

Published 02 Mar, 2026 04:17pm

Stocks

Indian shares tumble as Middle East war dents investor confidence, raises economic risks

Nifty 50 dropped 1.24% to a one-month low of 24,865.70 while the BSE Sensex shed 1.29% to 80,238.85

Published 02 Mar, 2026 04:12pm

Business & Finance

CCP seeks rationalisation of protections to boost competition in Pakistan’s auto sector

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has called for sweeping structural reforms in the country’s automobile...

Published 02 Mar, 2026 03:09pm

Exchange

Rupee records gain against US dollar

Settles at 279.46 against greenback

Updated 02 Mar, 2026 07:57pm

Stocks

European shares touch two-week lows on Middle East conflict

The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 1.8% to its lowest since mid-February to 622.35 points

Published 02 Mar, 2026 02:17pm

Commodities

Gold per tola gains Rs13,300 in Pakistan

10-gram gold sold at Rs483,420 after it increased by Rs11,402

Published 02 Mar, 2026 02:04pm

Statistics

Inflation in Pakistan clocks in at 7% in February 2026

On a month-on-month basis, the Consumer Price Index increases by 0.3%

Updated 02 Mar, 2026 02:44pm

Stocks

Qatari stocks slide as Iran retaliates; Abu Dhabi, Dubai markets shut for two days

In Qatar, the benchmark index - which was closed for a bank holiday on Sunday - dropped 3.3%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 12:36pm

Forex

Swiss franc rises to highest level in more than a decade versus the euro

The euro dropped to 0.9037 francs in early trading, its lowest level since the Franc Shock of 2015

Published 02 Mar, 2026 12:33pm

Markets

Swiss National Bank reports annual profit of $34 billion

The SNB made a valuation gain of 36.3 billion francs on the 1,030 metric tonnes of gold it holds, it said on Monday

Published 02 Mar, 2026 12:03pm

Industry

Rising Middle East conflict sparks energy, freight uncertainty for Pakistan’s textile sector: APTMA

For export-led economies like Pakistan, volatility in oil, gas, and shipping costs directly impacts industrial competitiveness, says APTMA

Published 02 Mar, 2026 12:00pm

Stocks

Australian shares fall as Middle East crisis escalates; energy stocks gain

The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 0.5% to 9,156.20 by 2332 GMT

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:40am

Stocks

Nikkei falls 2% as investors assess impact of Middle East conflict

The Nikkei was down 1.9% at 57,702 as of 0013 GMT, while the broader Topix slipped 2.1% to 3,854.52

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:38am

Companies

Ali Rathore steps down as Engro Fertilizers Limited CEO

Engro Fertilizers Limited (EFERT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Engro Corporation Limited, announced on Monday the...

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:35am

Markets

Platts reviewing Mideast crude pricing mechanism amid US, Israel attacks on Iran

S&P Global Platts is reviewing the deliverability of Middle East crude from ports within the Gulf

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:33am

Commodities

Iron ore dips, pressured by steel output curbs in Tangshan, high stocks

The most-traded iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange fell 0.13% to 747 yuan a metric ton

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:22am

Forex

Australia, NZ dollars falter as Iran conflict spooks markets

The Aussie dived as much as 1.2% in early Asian trade to $0.7033, before steadying at $0.7107, just down 0.1% for the day

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:12am

Commodities

Aluminium rises as conflict over Iran spotlights supply concerns

The most-active aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 1.14% to 23,975 yuan ($3,490.57) a metric ton

Published 02 Mar, 2026 11:03am

Commodities

Indonesia’s January coal export volume down 2.9% yr/yr

Indonesia shipped 29.54 million metric tons of coal in January

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:59am

Forex

China’s yuan slips on escalating Middle East tensions, rising corporate dollar demand

The onshore yuan eased to a trough of 6.9630 per dollar at one point

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:55am

Forex

Turkish lira weakens to 43.9695 against dollar

Turkish lira slid to 43.9695 against the dollar in early trade on Monday

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:49am

Commodities

Chicago wheat pulls back from recent peak on improved US weather; soy, corn slip

CBOT soybeans slipped 0.06% to $11.7 a bushel

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:40am

Mutual Funds

India bonds slip as Middle East war spikes oil

The benchmark 6.48% 2035 bond yield was at 6.6894%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:36am

Stocks

China stocks steady as surges in energy, defence shares offset airline losses; HK drops

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, which is more susceptible to global market volatility, fell roughly 2%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:33am

Commodities

Indonesia rice output in January-April to fall 0.18% annually, stats bureau says

In January alone, rice output reached 1.75 million tons, according to preliminary production data from the bureau

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:21am

Commodities

Palm extends gains, tracking Dalian, Chicago rivals

The benchmark palm oil contract for May delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 61 ringgit, or 1.51%, to 4,103 ringgit ($1,051.24) a metric ton

Published 02 Mar, 2026 10:14am

Business & Finance

Pakistan, IMF begin crucial programme review discussions

Discussions will continue to be held virtually, says Mahir Binici

Updated 02 Mar, 2026 01:41pm

Stocks

Bloodbath at PSX: KSE-100 plunges over 16,000 points amid geopolitical tensions

Escalating geopolitical uncertainties take toll on market sentiments
The KSE-100 Index settles at 151,972.99

Updated 02 Mar, 2026 08:05pm

Bullion Rate

Gold climbs as US-Israel strikes on Iran spark safe-haven demand

Spot gold was up 1.37% at $5,349.44 an ounce
US gold futures rose 2.21% to $5,362.60 per ounce

Updated 02 Mar, 2026 10:30am

Stocks

Indian shares set for lower open as Middle East conflict dents risk appetite

*The Gift Nifty futures were trading at 25,132 points

Published 02 Mar, 2026 08:21am

Forex

Indian rupee to fall past 91 as Iran war puts oil on the boil, saps risk appetite

The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated the rupee will open in the 91.28-91.32 range versus the US dollar, having settled at 90.9750 on Friday

Published 02 Mar, 2026 08:18am

Stocks

Oil prices jump, stocks skid on Middle East turmoil

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 1.2%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 08:15am

Forex

Euro sags, dollar gains as Iran war lifts energy prices

The New Zealand dollar was last down 0.2% at $0.5979 after retracing an earlier decline of 0.8%

Published 02 Mar, 2026 08:08am

Energy

Oil, gas surge as Iran conflict disrupts Middle Eastern flows

Brent crude futures rose as much as 13% to $82.37 a barrel

Updated 02 Mar, 2026 05:28pm

Pakistan

Zakori Group signs MoC with GTTTC, GCT

PESHAWAR: Zakori Group of Companies signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Government Technical Teachers...