News

Lucky raises record Rs50bn in initial public offering

Lucky Investments Ltd on Wednesday raised an unprecedented Rs50 billion during the initial public offering (IPO) of its Lucky Islamic Money Market Fund, shattering all previous subscription records. According to a press release, this landmark achievement marks an extraordinary milestone in Pakistan’s financial sector, where investors nationwide demonstrated overwhelming confidence in the compan

Dollar bonds resume sell-off, Pakistan’s drops 6 cents

International bonds issued by smaller, riskier, emerging economies suffered another sharp selloff on Wednesday after President Donald Trump’s eye-watering 104pc tariffs on China took effect, re-igniting turmoil across global markets. Pakistan’s longer-dated dollar-denominated bonds tumbled more than 6 cents to be bid below the 70-cent threshold where debt is seen as distressed, Tradeweb data sh

Govt raises Rs427bn through PIBs’ auction

The government raised Rs427 billion by auctioning Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) on Wednes­day, exceeding the Rs350bn target. The government raised Rs77bn more, reflecting the increasing need for government spending. The banks were also found to be over-liquid as they were willing to invest Rs887bn in the PIBs. Interestingly, the government raised the highest amount of Rs287.6bn for 10 yea

Rs105bn swap deal for Zarai Taraqiati Bank-Pakistan Security Printing Company gets go-ahead

In a Rs105 billion transaction, the government on Wednesday approved swapping of its ownership in Pakistan Security Printing Company (PSPC) to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) against full control of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) to meet a commitment made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Entities (CCoSOE), at a meeting presided over by Finance Minis

Exports to Europe rise 10pc in July-February

Pakistan’s exports to European countries grew 9.41 per cent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year from a year ago, mainly due to higher shipments to western and southern states. In absolute terms, Pakistan’s exports to the European Union (EU) reached $5.921 billion in July- February FY25 from $5.412bn last year, according to data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan. The exp