Tuesday, April 28 2026

Selling continues unabated, KSE-100 down nearly 1,000 points in early trade
Selling continued at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding nearly 1,000 points during the opening minutes of trading on Tuesday. At 9:34am, the benchmark index was hovering at 168,507.59, down by 989.76 points or 0.58%. Selling was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, POL, LUCK and DGKC, traded in the red. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased its policy rate by 100 basis points to 11.50% after the monetary policy committee meeting on Monday. On Monday, PSX witnessed a volatile and bearish session on Monday as investor sentiment remained cautious ahead of the central bank’s monetary policy announcement. The benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at 169,497.36 points, losing 1,174.68 points or 0.69%.
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Asian stocks meander ahead of tech earnings, BOJ awaits
Asian stocks held near record ​highs and the dollar was muted on Tuesday as investors weighed the geopolitical maelstrom in the Middle East and braced for megacap earnings and ‌a slate of central bank meetings, with the Bank of Japan due later in the day. While the US was reviewing Tehran’s latest proposal to resolve the war in the Middle East, a US official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with the proposal because it did not address Iran’s nuclear program. That leaves the two-month-long conflict in a stalemate with energy and other supplies through the ​critical Strait of Hormuz at a standstill. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.12%, hovering near the record high it touched on ​Monday. The index is on course for a 17% rise in April after dropping 13.5% in March.
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Soneri Bank posts Rs1.339bn PAT in Q126
The Board of Directors of Soneri Bank Limited, in their 216th meeting held in Karachi on Monday, approved the Bank’s financial statements of the first quarter ended 31 March 2026. The Bank’s stable performance across all functional areas underscores its operational robustness. This was achieved despite the dual challenges of a declining interest rate environment and inflationary trends, alongside the planned capital expenditure for expanding our branch footprint. The Bank posted Profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 2.795 billion and Profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 1.339 billion for the period ended 31 March 2026, as compared to Rs. 3.337 billion and Rs 1.147 billion respectively for the comparative period. The bottom-line growth resulted in an improved earnings per share of Rs 1.2146, up from Rs 1.0406. This reflects a period-on-period growth of 16.72 percent in shareholder returns.
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Bank AL Habib declares 45pc final cash dividend
The Annual General Meeting of Bank AL Habib Limited was held at the Bank’s premises located at 128-C, Old Bahawalpur Road, Multan on March 30, 2026. The shareholders approved the Annual Accounts for the year ended December 31, 2025, and a 45 percent Final Cash Dividend. This is in addition to 105 percent Interim Cash Dividends paid earlier, thus, making a total of 150 percent i.e., Rs 15.00 per share.
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BOP delivers 155pc profit growth in Q1 2026
The Bank of Punjab (BOP), one of Pakistan’s leading public sector commercial banks on Monday announced exceptional financial results for Q1 2026, reflecting strong growth momentum, sound business performance, and an expanding role in Pakistan’s banking sector. The Board of Directors reviewed and approved the unaudited financial statements for the period ended March 31, 2026. Exceptional Growth Driven by Strategic Execution The Bank’s record-breaking performance reflects the success of its strategic initiatives centered on core earnings enhancement and operational excellence. The 155 percent surge in before-tax profit and 98 percent growth in operating profit—achieved entirely through organic growth—demonstrate the Bank’s ability to execute against market opportunities while maintaining disciplined risk management.
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Related symbols: bop (news stock)