News Archives for Business & Finance - 2026-04-02

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Business & Finance - 2026-04-02

Business & Finance

Pakistan govt hikes petrol price to Rs458, diesel to Rs520 per litre

Decision comes in line with rising international rates

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 11:56pm

Business & Finance

Aurangzeb, US envoy discuss economic cooperation, investment prospects

Meeting reviews Pakistan-US relations, ongoing economic developments, and avenues to expand collaboration in key sectors

Published 02 Apr, 2026 09:21pm

Business & Finance

SBP-held foreign reserves rise $6mn to $16.38bn

Country's total liquid foreign exchange reserves stand at $21.79 billion

Published 02 Apr, 2026 08:52pm

Markets

US trade deficit widens less than expected in February

WASHINGTON: The US trade deficit widened in February but less than analysts expected, government data showed...

Published 02 Apr, 2026 08:45pm

Business & Finance

Pakistan’s economy grows 3.89 pct in Q2 FY26, industry leads expansion

Committee makes slight downward revisions to previous years, with GDP growth for FY2023-24 adjusted to 2.62% and FY2024-25 to 3.06%

Published 02 Apr, 2026 08:37pm

Stocks

Wall St drops over 1% after Trump’s comments dent Iran resolution hopes

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 565.37 points, or 1.21%, to 46,000.37

Published 02 Apr, 2026 07:26pm

Stocks

Most Gulf equities retreat on fears of prolonged conflict

Dubai’s main share index dropped 0.6%
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index gave up early gains to finish 0.1% lower

Published 02 Apr, 2026 06:56pm

South Asia

Maldives seeks fuels from India amid Iran war

India is supplying fuels to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka under commercial engagements

Published 02 Apr, 2026 06:47pm

Stocks

Sri Lankan shares post first gain in five sessions, but end week lower

CSE All-Share index rose 0.24% to 21,117.42

Published 02 Apr, 2026 06:16pm

Commodities

Copper falls as hopes for quick end to Iran war fade

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 1.6% at $12,235.50 per metric ton

Published 02 Apr, 2026 06:04pm

Forex

Indian rupee soars to best day in over a decade as RBI clamps down on speculation

The Indian rupee rallied to a peak of 92.8350 per U.S. dollar

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:52pm

Stocks

Indian shares edge up on Indian rupee rally, but war worries drag weekly performance

Nifty 50 closed 0.15% higher at 22,713.1 and the Sensex rose 0.25% to 73,319.55

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:40pm

Commodities

Palm climbs on Mideast uncertainty, weak supply outlook

Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract fell 0.48%

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:21pm

Commodities

India faces second year of sugar deficit as mills close early

Most sugar mills have already closed, with only a few still operational

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:19pm

South Asia

India may cut import duties and curb exports to ensure local supplies

India’s government is examining cuts to import duties on critical raw materials and other essential goods

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:16pm

Markets

India proposes reintroducing open-market share buybacks via exchanges

SEBI has proposed reintroducing the method with appropriate safeguards

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:14pm

Financial

Indian bonds fall for third week as Trump remarks stoke oil prices

India’s benchmark 6.48% 2035 bond yield ended the holiday-shortened week up 10 basis points at 7.134%

Published 02 Apr, 2026 05:12pm

Business & Finance

Port congestion: Govt seeks 30-day plan to clear stuck containers

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday directed port authorities to...

Published 02 Apr, 2026 03:26pm

Companies

KE elects directors

The government also made nominations on the Board of KE

Published 02 Apr, 2026 03:14pm

Business & Finance

Pakistan’s limited internet infrastructure raises DDoS risk

Pakistan’s dependency on limited submarine cable landing stations and Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) is emerging as...

Published 02 Apr, 2026 02:29pm

Financial

Gold price drops by Rs7,100 per tola in Pakistan

International rate of gold declines by $71 to reach $4,642 per ounce

Published 02 Apr, 2026 01:46pm

Business & Finance

Pakistan’s trade deficit rises 23% to $28bn in July-March

Trade balance stood at $22.67 billion in same period of previous fiscal year

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 03:59pm

Commodities

Jordan tenders to buy 120,000 metric tons feed barley, traders say

Jordan has also issued a separate tender to buy 120,000 tons of milling wheat closing on April 7

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:50pm

Stocks

South Korean shares end 4.5% lower as Iran ceasefire hopes fade

The benchmark KOSPI closed down 244.65 points, or 4.47%, at 5,234.05

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:48pm

Markets

AirFrance-KLM submits offer for minority stake in Portugal’s TAP airline

AirFrance-KLM said on Thursday it had submitted a non-binding offer to acquire a minority stake

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:45pm

Companies

As Pakistan’s cashless drive gains momentum, JazzCash steps up its game

As Pakistan’s path towards achieving a cashless economy gains momentum, local fintech players have stepped up their...

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 06:40pm

Stocks

European shares seen lower at open as hopes of end to Middle East conflict fade

Futures tracking the pan-European STOXX 600 index

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:43pm

Energy

TotalEnergies, Abu Dhabi’s Masdar form $2.2 billion renewables joint venture

The companies will contribute to a total portfolio of 3 gigawatts of operational capacity, with 6 GW under advanced development

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:40pm

Commodities

OMC sales surge in Pakistan, but ME tensions could test demand

On a monthly basis, the OMC sales were up by 13%

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:38pm

Forex

South African rand falls more than 1% as Trump vows more strikes on Iran

The rand traded at 17.0250 against the dollar, 1.3% weaker than its previous close

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:37pm

Markets

Volvo Cars Q1 sales volumes fall 11% yr/yr

Volvo Cars sold 153,316 cars in the three months through March

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:33pm

Forex

Thai baht/US dollar weaker on Thursday

The baht was 0.34% lower at 32.73 versus the dollar, after trading in a range of 32.530 to 32.775

Published 02 Apr, 2026 12:18pm

Commodities

Palm rises on stronger crude, Chicago soyoil

The benchmark palm oil contract for June delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 40 ringgit, or 0.84%, to 4,809 ringgit a metric ton

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:59am

Forex

Australian, NZ dollars sideswiped by fears of lengthy energy crisis

The kiwi dollar fell 0.5% to $0.5720, having stalled at $0.5777 overnight

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:53am

Forex

China’s yuan slips from 3-week high as Trump vows sustained strikes on Iran

The onshore yuan eased to 6.8850 per dollar as of 0303 GMT from a three-week high of 6.8708 hit a day earlier

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:51am

Stocks

Australian shares rise on hopes of Iran conflict de-escalation

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.4% to 8,706.50 points

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:49am

Stocks

Japan’s Nikkei rises on Mideast de-escalation hopes ahead of Trump speech

The Nikkei rose 0.85% to 54,207.02

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:47am

Stocks

China, Hong Kong stocks fall as Trump offers no clear timeline to end Iran war

Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 1.1% and the city's tech shares plunged 2.2%

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:32am

Mutual Funds

JGB yields jump as Trump says US to continue Iran war

The 20-year bond yield jumped 15 bps to 3.21%, and the 30-year bond yield rose 9 bps to 3.705%

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:13am

Energy

India looks to turn LPG import crisis into push for piped gas

India is the world’s No. 2 importer of LPG, meeting about 60% of its needs with overseas purchases

Published 02 Apr, 2026 11:06am

Markets

Gulf war batters India’s glass heartland, testing New Delhi’s manufacturing drive

Furnace operator Somesh Yadav said a unit that had employed more than 500 workers until last month now had jobs for fewer than 200

Published 02 Apr, 2026 10:49am

Business & Finance

Pakistan pitches FTA to UK amid expanding trade dialogue

The Pakistan government has proposed moving towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom (UK),...

Published 02 Apr, 2026 10:23am

Stocks

KSE-100 Index loses 2.25% amid geopolitical tensions

Benchmark index settles at 152,011.26

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 08:15pm

Business & Finance

Fallout of Iran war: Top World Bank official ‘extremely concerned’

WASHINGTON: The World Bank is “extremely concerned” about the effect the war on Iran will have on inflation, jobs...

Published 02 Apr, 2026 08:11am

Stocks

Indian shares set to open lower after Trump ramps up Iran threat

GIFT Nifty futures were trading at 22,359

Published 02 Apr, 2026 08:05am

Forex

Indian rupee to rally as RBI tightens FX curbs, traders digest Trump remarks

The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated the rupee will open in the 92.65-92.70 range versus the US dollar, having settled at 94.83 on Monday

Published 02 Apr, 2026 08:01am

Forex

Dollar gains as Trump sets no clear Iran ceasefire timeline in speech

The dollar index , which measures ⁠the greenback against a basket of currencies, climbed to a high of 99.925 after the speech

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 12:05pm

Stocks

Stocks slide, dollar advances after Trump speech on Iran war

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid 0.75%. Japan's Nikkei reversed course to trade down 0.79% in volatile trading

Published 02 Apr, 2026 07:51am

Energy

Oil prices jump to around $110/bbl after Trump says attacks on Iran will continue

Brent crude futures were up $7.96, or 7.9%, to $109.12 per barrel

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 06:52pm

Bullion Rate

Gold falls as Trump gives no clarity on ending Iran war

Spot gold fell 1.3% at $4,694.48 per ounce
US gold futures slid 1.9% to $4,723.70

Updated 02 Apr, 2026 12:04pm

Money & Banking

SBP allows teenagers to independently open, operate bank accounts

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched a new regulatory framework enabling teenagers to...