Wednesday, April 29 2026

Buying returns to bourse, KSE-100 up over 900 points in early trade
After days of selling pressure, buying returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) amid optimism over the release of funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with the benchmark KSE-100 gaining over 900 points during the opening minutes of trading on Wednesday. At 9:35am, the benchmark index was hovering at 169,329.62, up by 917.39 points or 0.54%. “Reclaiming and holding the 169,000 level is a very positive technical sign,” said Behtari Capital on Wednesday. “We are now consolidating for a potential run back toward the 170K psychological barrier. With the IMF providing relief on gas and the SECP modernising market access, the buy-the-dip strategy has paid off.”
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Stocks retreat on Iran, AI concerns as Fed meeting looms
Markets got off to an uneven start in Asian trading on Wednesday as worries about the Iran conflict and health of the AI sector ​dominated ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision and earnings from tech megacap stocks later in the session. MSCI’s broadest index of ‌Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.2%, retreating for a second day from record highs set on Monday, led by declines for Taiwanese chipmakers. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday. S&P 500 e-mini futures nudged up 0.1%, while Brent crude rose 0.4% to $111.71 per barrel as efforts to end the Iran conflict hit an impasse. “Markets remained cautious ​overnight as peace talks continued to stall, with Iran seeking the lifting of the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz ​and mediators expecting a revised Iranian proposal in coming days,” analysts from Westpac wrote in a research note.
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SBP holds policy rate at 10.5% in first 2026 MPC meeting
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decided on Monday to keep its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 10.5% in its first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of 2026. SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad announced the decision in a press conference. Inflation in Pakistan could be above 7% in some months of the current fiscal year’s second half, he said. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by 3.75% to 4.75% this year, Ahmad envisaged. What MPC says The central bank later issued a detailed MPC statement on its decision to maintain the status quo. It said:
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Diplomats seek stronger Pakistan-Asean trade
Diplomats and business leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Monday for the ASEAN Trade & Tourism Conference where speakers called for stronger economic ties between Pakistan and the 10-member regional bloc and identified key barriers hindering greater trade and investment. Presiding over the conference, LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol highlighted the disparity between the economic strength of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Pakistan’s limited commercial engagement with the region. He noted that while ASEAN commands a combined GDP of approximately $4 trillion and exports exceeding $1.6 trillion, Pakistan’s exports to the bloc amount to only $1.37 billion.
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Federal tax revenues may fall up to Rs1,000bn: SACM KP
Advisor to KP CM on Finance Muzzammil Aslam has said that federal tax revenues are expected to fall short by 800 to 1,000 billion rupees in the current fiscal year, while the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has been reduced by 180 billion rupees. In a statement issued here from his office on Wednesday, Muzzammil Aslam stated that as a result of these two measures, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will face a shortfall of 120 billion rupees in its receipts. He further said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has spent more than 10 billion rupees on flood relief, 15 billion rupees on the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and approximately 10 billion rupees on fuel compensation for motorcyclists, farmers, and buses.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc