Friday, April 24 2026

Selling continues amid US-Iran tensions, KSE-100 down 2,200 points
Selling pressure continued unabated at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding nearly 2,200 points during the first half of the trading session on Friday. At 12pm, the benchmark index was hovering at 167,007.65, down by 2,165.72 points or 1.28%. Selling was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies and power generation. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, FFC, UBL and HBL, traded in the red.
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Pakistan completes $3.45bn UAE repayment: SBP
Pakistan has cleared all outstanding deposits owed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Friday, as it repaid $1 billion to the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. “SBP repaid deposit of $1 billion to Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), UAE, on 23 April 2026,” said the central bank. “Deposits of $2.45 billion were repaid last week. This completes the repayment of total deposits of $3.45 billion to the UAE.” The UAE had previously been rolling over deposits annually. Last week, Pakistan repaid $2 billion to the UAE, a central bank official confirmed to Business Recorder. “Pakistan has repaid $2 billion to the UAE,” said Noor Ahmed, spokesperson at the SBP. The repayment comes as Pakistan targets foreign exchange reserves above $18 billion by June under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, which requires bilateral deposits to be rolled over.
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FBL earns Rs10.8bn PBT in Q126
Faysal Bank Limited (FBL) delivered a sound and resilient financial performance in the first quarter of 2026, reporting Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs 10.8 billion and net profit of Rs 5.2 billion, translating into Earnings Per Share (EPS) of Rs 3.40. The Bank also declared an interim cash dividend of Rs 1.5 per share (15 percent), reflecting confidence in its performance and outlook. FBL maintained a strong balance sheet footing, with total assets reaching Rs 1.7 trillion. The Bank remained focused on optimizing its deposit mix, with a strategic emphasis on core current accounts, driven by trade and transactional flows across its expanding customer base, leveraging its wide and growing branch network.
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Related symbols: fabl (news stock)

PSMC begins exporting Suzuki Cultus parts to Thailand
Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMC) on Thursday announced that it has successfully begun exporting body parts of the Suzuki Cultus to Thailand, marking its first such export to the Thai market. In an official communiqué, the company said it had achieved another significant milestone by exporting body parts to Southeast Asian Nations. This development reflects Pak Suzuki’s growing contribution to Pakistan’s industrial exports and aligns with the Government of Pakistan’s strategic focus on export-led economic growth and integration into global automotive supply chains. The export ceremony was witnessed by Pak Suzuki’s Managing Director, Hiroshi Kawamura, along with senior management and technical teams. Speaking on the occasion, Kawamura highlighted Pak Suzuki’s longstanding history of exporting vehicles, auto parts, and accessories to Bangladesh, Nepal, Hungary, Vietnam, Germany, Japan, and Oman.
Related news categories: auto-assembler business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges
Related symbols: psmc (news stock)

MCB Bank reports resilient performance for Q1 with 90pc dividend payout
MCB Bank Limited is pleased to announce its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, reflecting resilient performance supported by strong fundamentals, disciplined execution, and balance sheet strength amid a challenging macroeconomic environment. The Board of Directors of MCB Bank, under the Chairmanship of Mian Mohammad Mansha, reviewed and approved the Bank’s financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The Board declared a first interim cash dividend of Rs 9.00 per share, i.e. 90 percent, re-affirming Bank’s commitment to delivering consistent shareholder returns. MCB reported a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs 26.7 billion and a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 12.8 billion, translating into Earnings Per Share (EPS) of Rs 10.80. On a consolidated basis, PBT stood at Rs 27.9 billion.
Related news categories: business comm-banks economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges
Related symbols: mcb (news stock)