Monday, July 20 2026

Stocks tumble at PSX as escalating tensions take toll on investor sentiments
Massive selling pressure was observed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), as the United States and ​Iran expanded attacks in the Middle East, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding nearly 2,000 points during the opening minutes of trading on Monday. At 9:33am, the benchmark index was hovering at 173,812.83, down by 1,989.95 points or 1.13%. Selling was witnessed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including OGDC, MARI, PPL, POL, HUBCO, MCB, MEBL and NBP, traded in the red.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

12 Pakistani firms sign investment deals to expand into Saudi Arabia
Twelve prominent Pakistani companies from various sectors have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Al Raee Group to launch operations and execute large-scale investments in Saudi Arabia. The agreements were signed at the "Saudi Company Formation and Business Expansion Summit 2026," organized by Al Raee Group in Islamabad, marking what organizers described as a significant milestone in investment cooperation and laying a foundation for long-term economic partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, according to APP. Deputy Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan Nasir, addressing the summit as Chief Guest, said the relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are built on a foundation of faith, mutual trust, and shared progress. He said Saudi Vision 2030 has opened new horizons for global investment and private sector growth, offering opportunities for the Pakistani business community.
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Pakistan's external financing hits $16bn in FY26
Pakistan secured $4.04bn in external financing in June 2026, closing out FY26 (July 2025–June 2026) with a cumulative total of $16.16bn, the latest report by the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) showed. Disbursements from bilateral and multilateral development partners totalled $1.96bn in June, taking the full-year total to $6.39bn, while a $1.7bn commercial loan from China Development Bank was the single largest inflow of the month. Foreign assistance through multilateral sources amounted to $1.93bn in June, lifting the FY26 cumulative total to $5.03bn. Bilateral development partners contributed $29.35m in June, with their full-year total reaching $1.36bn. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) was the leading multilateral donor in June, disbursing $953.74m during the month and taking its FY26 cumulative total to $1.77bn.
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40 drugs not available in market due to pending govt price approvals
Around 40 medicines that have already been registered in Pakistan remain unavailable to patients because the federal government has yet to approve their prices. The delay has left thousands of patients, including those battling cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, with limited treatment options, forcing many to depend on costly personal imports or smuggled and unregistered medicines. The pending medicines include Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), one of the world’s leading immunotherapy drugs approved internationally for more than 20 cancers, including lung, breast, cervical, kidney, bladder, stomach and skin cancers. Other important cancer medicines awaiting price notification include Nivolumab, Irinotecan, Dasatinib and Leucovorin.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators pharma psx stock-exchanges

HBL wins ‘Pakistan’s Best Bank 2026’ award by Euromoney
Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026 has awarded HBL the accolade of ‘Pakistan’s Best Bank’. The Bank has also won ‘Pakistan’s Best Retail Bank’, ‘Pakistan’s Best Bank for Sustainable Finance’, ‘Pakistan’s Best for Capital Markets Advisory’, and ‘Pakistan’s Best Investment Bank for M&A’. Euromoney is a global English-language publication focused on business and finance. These awards are the most prestigious recognition in the banking industry, globally. The Euromoney citation acknowledges that “Habib Bank Limited (HBL) is recognized as Pakistan’s best bank for 2026, reflecting its market leadership, scale and consistent delivery across retail, corporate, investment and private banking segments, underpinned by strong financial performance and nationwide reach.” The citation went on to note, “The bank played a pivotal role in national development, advising on Pakistan’s inaugural panda bond and supporting major infrastructure projects.”
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