News Archives for Business & Finance - 2026-03-27

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Business & Finance - 2026-03-27

Markets

Trade diplomacy, Central Asia FTAs key to lifting Pakistan exports: experts

Karachi, important port city, needs developed infrastructure, ideal law and order situation, experts say

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:40pm

South Asia

India relaxes rules for some state-run firms to procure critical equipment from China

New Delhi eased restrictions on Chinese investments in select sectors to help ease a capital squeeze

Published 27 Mar, 2026 09:36pm

Stocks

S&P 500, Nasdaq hit over six-month lows as Middle East tensions drag on markets

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 305.57 points, or 0.66%, to 45,651.29,

Published 27 Mar, 2026 09:32pm

Markets

PM Shehbaz again rejects summary proposing hike in petrol, diesel prices

Premier says he turned down proposal to raise petrol price by Rs95 per litre and diesel's by Rs203 per litre

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 09:42pm

Commodities

India’s 2026 wheat harvest seen higher, but below estimates as rains, hail hit crop

Production will be higher than last year but below our earlier projections

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:43pm

South Asia

India’s luxury promise hits a wall: not enough malls to shop in

We have top 15 brands that are ready to enter India, if we give them space tomorrow

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:37pm

Financial

India to borrow 8.2 trillion Indian rupees via bonds in 1H, cuts ultra-long debt supply

Traders expected New Delhi to borrow around 53% to 56% in the first half of the fiscal year that begins on April 1

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:24pm

Stocks

Sri Lankan shares end lower; post first weekly gain in five

CSE All-Share index dropped nearly 0.2% to 21,375.73. On Thursday, the index dropped 2.1%

Published 27 Mar, 2026 06:05pm

Financial

India’s FX reserves fall below $700 billion for the first time in over two months

Reserves fell to $698.35 billion, led largely by the value of the central bank’s gold holdings dropping by $13.5 billion week-on-week to $117.2 billion

Published 27 Mar, 2026 06:02pm

Stocks

UAE equities reverse early gains on Iran ceasefire uncertainty

Dubai’s main share index eased 0.1%, with top lender Emirates NBD retreating 3.2%

Published 27 Mar, 2026 05:56pm

South Asia

WTO reform talks face U.S.-India wall in Cameroon, diplomats say

US and India acknowledge the need to reform the global trading system

Published 27 Mar, 2026 05:51pm

Financial

India’s sub-sovereign borrowing costs surge above 8%, highest since July 2022

Indian states raised around 400 billion Indian rupees ($4.22 billion) earlier in the day

Published 27 Mar, 2026 05:41pm

Energy

Trump’s Iran war pushes India to rekindle old friendship with Russia

Delhi has separately told its energy importers to get ready to resume purchases of Russian LNG

Published 27 Mar, 2026 05:35pm

Financial

India 10-year yield logs biggest weekly surge since RBI’s surprise hike in May 2022

Benchmark 6.48% 2035 bond yield ended at 6.9419%

Published 27 Mar, 2026 05:11pm

Stocks

Govt plans targeted fuel subsidy via tech-based system amid fiscal constraints

IT ministry gives presentation on proposed technological solutions to facilitate targeted subsidy mechanism for petroleum products

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 09:01pm

Commodities

Palm futures log fourth straight weekly gain

Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract rose 1%,

Published 27 Mar, 2026 04:36pm

Commodities

Copper steady while aluminium falls as Trump pauses attacks on Iranian energy plants

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.1% at $12,132 a metric ton

Published 27 Mar, 2026 04:28pm

Markets

India seeks steelmaking raw material from Argentina, Indonesia, Oman, sources say

India aims to secure imports of lithium and other critical minerals for New Delhi’s state miner NMDC

Published 27 Mar, 2026 04:23pm

Commodities

Asia gold: Gold demand improves in India as prices ease; China sees softer buying

Bullion dealers in India offered discounts of up to $61 per ounce over official domestic gold prices this week

Published 27 Mar, 2026 04:17pm

Stocks

India’s stock benchmarks post fifth straight weekly loss on continuing Iran war

Nifty 50 fell 2.09% to 22,819.60 on Friday, while the BSE Sensex slipped 2.25% to 73,583.22

Published 27 Mar, 2026 04:11pm

Forex

Indian rupee slumps to record low past 94/USD, set for worst fiscal in more

Indian rupee declined 0.9% to end at 94.8125 after hitting an all-time low of 94.84 per dollar

Published 27 Mar, 2026 04:02pm

Exchange

Rupee gains against US dollar

Local currency settles at 279.17 against the greenback

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 08:19pm

Business & Finance

Pakistan, China to hold conference on investors’ security concerns

In the first phase, meetings will be held with the Chinese business community currently present in Pakistan

Published 27 Mar, 2026 03:43pm

Stocks

European shares fell amid uncertainty over Mideast war

The pan-European STOXX 600 was down 0.2% at 579.71 points

Published 27 Mar, 2026 02:36pm

Commodities

Gold price per tola drops by Rs1,000 in Pakistan

International rate of gold declines by $10 to reach $4,445 per ounce

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 07:40pm

Business & Finance

4.57mn mobile phones locally manufactured, assembled in two months

Local plants manufactured, assembled 30.21mn mobile handsets in last calendar year

Published 27 Mar, 2026 12:26pm

Companies

Bank Alfalah Limited to sell Bangladesh operations for $47.5mn

The shareholders of Bank Alfalah (BAFL), one of Pakistan’s largest commercial banks, have approved the sale of its...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 12:19pm

Mutual Funds

Japanese bond yields surge on inflation concerns and BOJ signals

The five-year yield rose 6 basis points (bps) to 1.800%, while the benchmark 10-year JGB yield climbed 8 basis points to 2.350%

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:39am

Companies

Treet advances lithium battery entry in Pakistan with first import arriving soon

Tapping into Pakistan’s rapidly expanding renewable trend, Treet Corporation Limited, a Pakistani diversified...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:36am

Energy

India cuts excise duties on petrol, diesel as global oil prices surge

Global oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel after the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:23am

Stocks

South Korean shares set for weekly fall on Mideast uncertainty

The benchmark KOSPI was down 168.42 points, or 3.08%, at 5,292.04

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:12am

Commodities

Chicago corn falls, tracking losses in crude oil

Wheat fell and soybeans stayed unchanged

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:08am

Forex

Thai baht/US dollar weaker on Friday

The baht was 0.4% lower at 32.91 versus the dollar, after trading in a range of 32.915 to 33.010

Published 27 Mar, 2026 11:05am

Stocks

China stocks edge higher on strong industrial profit despite Mideast worries

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 0.55%

Published 27 Mar, 2026 10:38am

Mutual Funds

India bonds seen declining as oil surges, states squeeze in another mega debt sale

The benchmark 6.48% 2035 bond yield will likely hover between 6.84% and 6.90% on Friday

Published 27 Mar, 2026 10:36am

Commodities

Palm oil rangebund as crude weighs, but set to snap three-week winning streak

The contract has declined 0.30% so far this week

Published 27 Mar, 2026 10:35am

Forex

Australia, NZ dollars hit two-month trough as global outlook darkens

The Aussie was under pressure at $0.6881, having slid 0.8% overnight to a trough of $0.6876

Published 27 Mar, 2026 10:34am

Stocks

Australia’s shares dip as miners, gold stocks weigh; Middle East talks in focus

The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.4% to 8,488.3 points

Published 27 Mar, 2026 10:32am

Business & Finance

OGDCL unlocks new gas potential in Kohat

Says the well was spudded in last year on August 10

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 10:59am

Stocks

Japan’s Nikkei poised for fourth weekly loss as Mideast war spurs risk-off mood

The broader Topix shed 0.8% to 3,614.20

Published 27 Mar, 2026 10:31am

Stocks

Volatility at bourse, KSE-100 sheds over 1,200 points

Benchmark index settles at 151,707.52

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 06:21pm

Companies

CCP authorises shareholding acquisition in PGICL

ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has authorised the acquisition of shareholding in M/s...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 09:09am

Industry

KATI says against any global effort aimed at revoking Pakistan’s GSP+ status

KARACHI: President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Muhammad Ikram Rajput, has strongly...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 09:03am

Business & Finance

Kaspersky says supply chain attacks emerge as top threat for companies

ISLAMABAD: A study by a global cybersecurity company revealed that the supply chain attacks have emerged as a top...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:56am

Companies

Yango Pakistan launches transport service integrated into Yango Superapp

KARACHI: Yango Pakistan, part of a global technology company Yango Group, on Thursday announced the launch of its...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:53am

Energy

Dubai crude’s premium slump as sellers pile offers onto TotalEnergies

The premium for the Middle East benchmark, that prices millions of barrels of crude that Asia imports

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 10:41am

Agriculture and Allied

Soaring costs prompt French farmers to reconsider sowings

PARIS: Some French farmers are planning to switch sowings from maize to sunflower, which requires less fertiliser...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:37am

Forex

Dollar rides haven demand as Middle East talks ring hollow

The yen , on the other hand, was left on the cusp of 160 per dollar and stood at 159.61, while the euro was off a touch 0.03% at $1.1525

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 11:49am

Stocks

Indian shares likely to fall as Iran war drags on

GIFT Nifty futures were trading at 23,144

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:33am

Energy

At least 40pc of Russia’s oil export capacity halted

MOSCOW: At least 40 percent of Russia’s oil export capacity is at a halt following Ukrainian drone attacks, a...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:30am

Forex

Rupee headed for new low past 94 on fears Iran war may drag on

The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated the rupee will open in the 94.20-94.25 range versus the US dollar

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:29am

Companies

Novo Nordisk cuts Wegovy price in South Africa for a second time

JOHANNESBURG: Novo Nordisk is cutting South African prices of its weight-loss drug Wegovy for a second time since it...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:28am

Companies

Arm unveils new AI chip, expects it to add billions in annual revenue

SAN FRANCISCO: Arm Holdings announced a new artificial intelligence data center chip on Tuesday which it said will...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:25am

Energy

Oil prices gain but set for first weekly decline since start of Iran war

Brent crude futures rose by $2.65, or 2.45%, to $110.66 a barrel
US WTI futures were up $3.17, or 3.4%, at $97.65

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 09:43pm

Money & Banking

Mideast war could spark financial system stress: ECB

FRANKFURT: The Middle East war is a threat to financial stability, a senior European Central Bank official said...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:20am

Stocks

Asian stocks extend global rout; bonds hammered as war drags on

On Friday, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tumbled 1.4% and was set for a weekly drop of 3%

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:18am

Companies

Cathay Pacific raises fuel surcharge on all flights by 34pc

HONG KONG: Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific announced Thursday it was raising fuel surcharges on all flights...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:17am

Business & Finance

European retailers warn of price shock, weaker demand from prolonged Middle East conflict

STOCKHOLM/LONDON: Europe’s retailers warned on Thursday that a prolonged Middle East conflict could push up sticker...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:15am

Bullion Rate

Gold rises on softer dollar, but on track for fourth weekly drop

Spot gold rose 1.1% to $4,428.30 per ounce
US gold futures for April delivery gained 1.1% to $4,423.40

Updated 27 Mar, 2026 12:12pm

Companies

PRA, Foodpanda discuss promotion of cashless economy

LAHORE: A delegation of Foodpanda Pakistan called on the Chairperson of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), Moazzam...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:10am

Business & Finance

SECP licenses first provincial government-owned life insurer

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has granted a license to M/s Punjab Life Insurance...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 08:05am

Business & Finance

FBR imposes penalty of ‘compulsory retirement’ on inspector

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed a major penalty of “Compulsory Retirement” on an...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 07:54am

Pakistan

‘Federal govt is planning to procure 6.5m tons of wheat’

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is planning to procure 6.5 million tons of wheat to ensure food security in the...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 07:51am

Money & Banking

SBP cancels licence of Al Raj Exchange

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has cancelled the authorization of Al Raj International Exchange Company...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 07:48am

Business & Finance

US flexes ‘new order’ trade policy as WTO meet kicks off

YAOUNDÉ: US trade policy is a “corrective response” to the unbalanced rules of the World Trade Organization, US...

Published 27 Mar, 2026 07:33am

Business & Finance

Forex reserves rise to USD21.74bn

KARACHI: Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves rose to USD21.74 billion as of March 19, 2026, according...