Wednesday, January 07 2026

PSX secures another high, KSE-100 crosses 186,000 level
Records continued to tumble at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossing the 186,000 level for the first time in history during the opening minutes of trading on Wednesday. At 10:05am, the benchmark index was hovering at 185,797.62, a gain of 735.52 points or 0.40%. The buying rally is fuelled by the anticipation of a policy rate cut in the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, scheduled to be held later this month, say analysts. Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. Index-heavy stocks, including HUBCO, MARI, POL, PPL, PAOS, SSGC, WAFI, HBL, MEBL, NBP, and MCB, traded in the green.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges

Over 400 SMEs take part in Mera Brand Pakistan Expo
More than 400 brands participated in the ‘Mera Brand Pakistan’ Expo 2026, held at Karachi’s Expo Centre on January 3 and 4, 2026. Grow Safe was one of them and an official partner and sponsor of Expo organized by Pakistan Business Forum (Karachi chapter). During the expo, Grow Safe briefed the participating brands on the importance of meeting international compliance standards, particularly in the occupational safety, health, environment (HSE), and fire safety domains, to significantly enhance their access to global markets. They were also apprised about ISO certification and other social and legal compliance requirements. Speaking on the occasion, CEO Grow Safe Saad Abdul Wahab termed it absolutely vital for local businesses to break compliance-related barriers to international trade.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc

UBL enters four-billion-dollar club, becomes Pakistan’s largest-listed company
United Bank Limited (UBL) has emerged as the largest listed company in Pakistan, with its market capitalisation reaching Rs1.28 trillion (USD 4.6 billion) on Tuesday, overtaking Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC), which now holds the second spot with a market cap of Rs1.26 trillion (USD 4.53 billion). The milestone marks an impressive run for UBL, reflecting strong investor confidence and robust performance in the banking sector, said market analysts. In the last month alone, the share price of UBL has increased by an impressive 37%, from Rs375.57 on December 8, 2025, to Rs514.49 at the time of filing this report on Tuesday. The rising profitability comes “on the back of effectively utilising the interest rate scenario,” Samiullah Tariq, Head of Research at Pak-Kuwait Investment Company Limited, told Business Recorder.
Related news categories: business comm-banks economic-indicators psx stock-exchanges
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Venezuela to export $2 billion worth of oil to US in deal with Washington
HOUSTON/WASHINGTON: Caracas and Washington have reached a deal to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, a flagship negotiation that would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts. The agreement is a strong sign that the Venezuelan government is responding to Trump’s demand hat they open up to US oil companies or risk more military intervention. Trump has said he wants interim President Delcy Rodriguez to give the U.S. and private companies “total access” to Venezuela’s oil industry. Venezuela has millions of barrels of oil loaded on tankers and in storage tanks that it has been unable to ship due to a blockade on exports imposed by Trump since mid-December. The blockade was part of rising U.S. pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that culminated in U.S. forces capturing him this weekend. Top Venezuelan officials have called Maduro’s capture a kidnapping and accused the U.S. of trying to steal the country’s vast oil reserves.
Related news categories: business misc oilgas-exploration oilgas-marketing

Oil falls after Trump says Venezuela will send oil to United States
Oil prices declined on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said Venezuela will be “turning over” 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States. US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell 78 cents, or 1.37%, to $56.35 a barrel by 0200 GMT, while Brent crude futures fell 61 cents, or 1%, to $60.09 a barrel. Both benchmark prices fell more than $1 in the previous trading session as the market weighed expectations of ample global supply this year against uncertainty around Venezuelan crude output after the U.S. capture of the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro. “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday.
Related news categories: business misc oilgas-exploration oilgas-marketing