Author: AdminPAGE

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Issac John /dubai[/box] Dubai has set a target of 20 million visitors by 2020, which would put it on a par with London and Paris [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he travel and tourism sector, a pivotal growth driver of the UAE economy, is expected to record a steady surge in spending, which is estimated to reach over $56 billion in 2022 as new mega projects come to market, travel and tourism industry analysts said. With the UAE economy on the fast track of diversification, total spending in the tourism sector is predicted to increase 4.5 per cent year on year…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.70 6.20 2 – Week 5.72 6.22 1 – Month 5.75 6.25 3 – Month 5.89 6.14 6 – Month 5.91 6.16 9 – Month 5.95 6.45 1 – Year 5.97 6.47 2 – Year 6.09 6.59 3- Year 6.25 6.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Chia Yan Min Economics Correspondent[/box] It ranks 11th out of 130 nations, having developed 73% of its talent as measured by WEF’s Human Capital Index Singapore has been ranked top in Asia for developing human capital in a new report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It ranks 11th out of 130 countries, having developed 73 per cent of its human capital as measured by WEF’s Human Capital Index. This makes Singapore the highest-placed Asian country. The only other nation from the region in the top 20 is Japan, ranked 17th. The Global Human Capital Index…

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. Economic indicators include various indices, earnings reports, and economic summaries. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding][tie_list type=”plus”] PAKISTAN – ECONOMIC INDICATORS Overview Last Reference Previous LABOUR Unemployment Rate 5.9 % Dec/15 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand Dec/15 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand Dec/15 3580 Population 194 Million Dec/16 190 Living Wage Family 30448 PKR/Month Dec/16 30326 Living Wage Individual 16967 PKR/Month Dec/16 16909 Wages High Skilled 43600 PKR/Month Jun/16 51100 MONEY Interest Rate 5.75 % Jul/17 5.75 Interbank Rate 6.01…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Gordon Fletcher, University of Salford and David Kreps, University of Salford[/box] [dropcap]D[/dropcap]eutsche Bank CEO John Cryan has predicted a bonfire of industry jobs as automation takes hold across the finance sector. Every signal is that he will be proved right very soon. Those roles in finance where the knowledge required is systematic will soon disappear. And it will happen irrespective of how high a level, how highly trained or how experienced the human equivalent may currently be. Regular and repetitive tasks at all levels of an organisation already do not need to be done by humans.…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Julian Friedland, Trinity College Dublin[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the 1990s, economists indulged heady hopes that globalisation would raise all boats via unfettered free market activity. Now, but a generation later, many are having second thoughts. That’s because global free markets, while indeed maximising GDP for all concerned, have also ushered in staggering rates of inequality together with a looming threat of irreversible climate change from increased greenhouse gas emissions. Some scholars are going so far as to blame capitalism itself. James Hickel argues that “there’s something fundamentally flawed about a system that has a prime directive to churn…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is published in collaboration with Thomson Reuters Foundation trust.org[/box] [dropcap]L[/dropcap]ondon, Aug 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Some 2 million people are expected to travel across the globe to eat, sleep and pray in unison from Wednesday, as the annual Islamic pilgrimage of Haj gets underway in Mecca. For billions of Muslims who are physically and financially able, Haj is a mandatory act of worship. But the religious celebration also has a substantial impact on the environment. Environmentally aware worshippers say that should be reduced, while inspiring Muslims to adopt a greener lifestyle. “Haj is…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Loizos Heracleous, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick[/box] [dropcap]A[/dropcap]pple is taking a calculated risk with the pricing of its new phone. The US$999 iPhone X is a bet on users’ loyalty and wealth and is on the surface consistent with the company’s longstanding strategy of differentiation and exclusivity. The danger lies in how the phone sells in the world’s huge and growing emerging markets; Apple clearly thinks it is a risk worth taking. And it’s not without reason. Apple has always targeted the higher end of the market worldwide rather than just aiming for a larger…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is published in collaboration with Project Syndicate[/box] [dropcap]L[/dropcap]ondon – This autumn, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will once again hold their annual conference in Washington, DC. At a time when the liberal world order that these institutions underpin is under threat, they cannot afford to stick with business as usual. Instead, they must consider deep reforms – and that will require abandoning the paternalistic, even hostile, tone that has often dominated discussion of the topic. Since the election of Donald Trump as US president last November – the culmination of an…

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN Details 2017 Total Population (Million) 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.86 Life Expectancy (Year) – Female 68.2 – Male 65.8

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – APRIL % CHANGES 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 CPI 4.09 2.79 4.81 SPI 1.51 1.44 1.86 WPI 4.00 -1.30 0.03

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Steve Keen, Kingston University[/box] There are none so blind as those who will not see. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]his phrase may have religious roots, but there is no better way to describe the dominant sect in economics today than as wilfully blind. A decade after the 2007-08 crisis, most still repeat the mantra that it could not have been predicted. Nonsense. The data that showed what would cause the crisis, and arguments by non-mainstream economists that one would occur, were available before it hit. There was a runaway bubble in asset markets caused by too much credit being created…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Jeff Desjardins Founder and editor of Visual Capitalist[/box] [dropcap]J[/dropcap]ust a month ago, it was revealed that Facebook has more than two billion active monthly users. That means that in any given month, more than 25% of Earth’s population logs in to their Facebook account at least once. This kind of scale is almost impossible to grasp. Here’s one attempt to put it in perspective: imagine Yankee Stadium’s seats packed with 50,000 people, and multiply this by a factor of 40,000. That’s about how many different people log into Facebook every month worldwide. A smaller window The Yankee Stadium…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Vasant Dhar Professor, Stern School of Business and the Center for Data Science.[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]ork is not what it used to be. The very concept of work has evolved considerably over the centuries, as newer technologies have become integrated into how we function individually as well as a society. In engineering, work is defined as the product of force and distance. Early machines amplified force and turbocharged human productivity, providing an early platform for industrialised society. They eliminated physical grunt work and created new kinds of work for humans, such as operating and fixing machines and using…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Charlotte Edmond Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]E[/dropcap]ducation may be the passport to the future, but for all the good teaching out there, it would seem that schools are failing to impart some of the most important life skills, according to one educational expert. Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard’s Change Leadership Group, argues that today’s school children are facing a “global achievement gap”, which is the gap between what even the best schools are teaching and the skills young people need to learn. This has been exacerbated by two colliding trends: firstly, the global shift from an industrial…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Taku Tamaki, Loughborough University[/box] [dropcap]N[/dropcap]orth Korea’s nuclear test, by far its largest, came less than a week after it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew over northern Japan, triggering a national text-message system known as the J-Alert. For Japan, the security implications of both these tests are immense. The missile test showed that Kim Jong-un’s regime now has the capacity to strike the Japanese mainland with relative ease, while Pyongyang’s apparent grasp of hydrogen bomb technology means it could potentially vaporise a chunk of the continental US mainland. That changes not just the magnitude of…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Jay L. Zagorsky, The Ohio State University[/box] [dropcap]N[/dropcap]o sooner had Hurricane Harvey’s record rains receded from Houston and neighboring cities than the residents of Florida began bracing for a wallop from an even more powerful storm. And hurricane season hasn’t even peaked yet. This begs the question: Is the number of major natural disasters striking the United States actually increasing, or does the media’s natural tendency to overhype conflict only make it seem so? The federal government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration actually maintains a website that can help answer this question. Its list of billion-dollar…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Pete Robertson, Edinburgh Napier University[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he claim that Eskimos have 50 words for snow may be apocryphal, but it neatly illustrates the truism that our vocabulary becomes more extensive and nuanced for phenomena we encounter frequently. The bog-standard job of the 20th century was formal, full-time and permanent. Recently the lexicon for other kinds of jobs has expanded. Work can be temporary, fixed-term, seasonal, project-based, part-time, on a zero-hours contract, casual, agency, freelance, peripheral, contingent, external, non-standard, atypical, platform-based, outsourced, sub-contracted, informal, undeclared, insecure, marginal or precarious. “Self-entrepreneurs” now do “Uber-jobs” – a term that arose…

GBP/USD WEEKLY OVERVIEW On Tuesday pound surged above $1.30 for the first time in more than three weeks in the backdrop of a bill submitted by British Prime Minister Theresa May on the upcoming repercussion of Brexit. It is presumed that passage of said bill will be helpful to release pressure on pound due to continuous political uncertainty. It has been observed that pound has dipped up to 13% against the dollar since EU referendum in United Kingdom. However, pound rose to 0.8% to hit $1.3034 Tuesday later on Thursday reached $1.3116 its strongest in five weeks. TECHNICAL STUDY USING…

MARKET REVIEW Bears gained a foothold in the market in the week as the index returned 1.04%WoW to close at 41,635 points level. The participation improved during the week with ADT and ADTV reporting a jump of 24%WoW and 33%WoW respectively. Negative news flow concerning HBL’s money laundering case in USA weighed on the investors’ sentiments and kept them weak. However, news broke on Thursday night that a significantly lower penalty (USD225mn vs USD620mn) had been agreed which supported the market on Friday. Foreign institutional investors remained net seller during the week with an outflow of USD0.3mn. During the week…

STOCKS RECOVER AS SENTIMENTS IMPROVE AFTER HBL SETTLEMENT AND FOREIGN BUYING SUMMARY The market remained under tense situation last week when the PSX recorded lower lock in HBL shares on all four sessions and overall the market shed 3.3% points WoW. The market sentiment improved in closing stages of the present week when the news of HBL agreeing to pay $225m fine by settling out of court with the Department of Financial Services (DFS) of New York. Bullish momentum returned as HBL (+5%) opened at its upper circuit on Friday. The KSE-100 Index finally closed on Friday by adding total…

PAKISTAN: PAKISTAN STARTUP CUP 2017 IS BACK WITH $2.5 million PRIZE MONEY: Startup Cup has presence in 60 countries, has engaged 3,437 mentors, held 208 Startup Cup challenges, has contributed towards establishing 3,735 operating businesses, has helped create 43,384 jobs and has had an economic impact of over $744 million. SAMSUNG WILL PAY YOU UP TO $200,000 FOR HACKING GALAXY DEVICES AND SAMSUNG SERVICES: Samsung just joined the list of companies offering bug bounty programs including Apple, Microsoft. The company today announce starting of Samsung Bug Bounty Program, proposing to pay rewards up to $200,000 to those who discover unreported…

UAE’S NON-OIL PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH AT 30-MONTH HIGH Dubai: The Emirates NBD Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the UAE rose to 57.3 in August from 56.0 in July, signalling the sharpest improvement in business conditions since February 2015. Growth in the UAE non-oil private sector economy climbed to the fastest pace seen since February 2015, bolstered by sharp expansions in new orders and output. August data showed new export orders rose for the first time in three months, with other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries being mentioned as key sources of international demand. Moreover, the ongoing upturn in new business…

PAKISTAN GETS $230 MN LOANS TO CUSHION FOREX RESERVES Pakistan has received two short-term loans worth $230 million from international creditors, meant to keep the official foreign exchange reserves at a level sufficient to provide cover to three-month import bill. According to officials, the country received an amount of $153 million from Citibank in August. Besides, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) gave a $77 million short-term loan in July for crude oil import. The IDB’s short-term facility is meant for import of crude oil from Saudi Arabia and the lender directly makes payments to the oil supplier on behalf of an…

STARTUPS, UNLISTED COMPANIES ON BLACK MONEY RADAR, PROBE ON 200 ENTITIES MUMBAI: Startups and unlisted subsidiaries of some major Indian companies and multinationals find themselves in the crosshairs of the income tax department for raising funds through preference shares in excess of what it considers the fair market value. The investigation arm of the income tax department has sent notices to about 200 entities under Section 56(2)(vii)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, in August, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told ET. Fair market value is assessed by the tax department based on past transactions and the…

THE SMART SCHOOL DISTRIBUTES CASH PRIZES AMONGST THE HIGH ACHIEVERS OF MATRIC EXAMINATIONS Pakistan’s largest school franchise school network, The Smart School through its Southern Region honoured 51 students from 17 campuses for their high achievement in Matric Board Examination 2016-17. The Smart School honoured High Achievers, their proud parents and Network Associates (Business Partners) at a local hotel. The event was attended by over 300 people including students, parents, teachers, school owners and southern region staff. Mr. Adil Ismail (General Manager Sothern Region, The Smart School) addressed the ceremony saying that “it is a pleasure to have such honourable…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.70 6.20 2 – Week 5.74 6.24 1 – Month 5.76 6.26 3 – Month 5.90 6.15 6 – Month 5.91 6.16 9 – Month 5.95 6.45 1 – Year 5.96 6.46 2 – Year 6.07 6.57 3- Year 6.24 6.74

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. Economic indicators include various indices, earnings reports, and economic summaries. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding][tie_list type=”plus”] PAKISTAN – ECONOMIC INDICATORS Overview Last Reference Previous MARKETS Currency 105 Sep/17 105 Stock Market 41383 points Sep/17 41390 Labour Last Reference Previous Unemployment Rate 5.9 % Dec/15 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand Dec/15 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand Dec/15 3580 Population 194 Million Dec/16 190 Living Wage Family 30448 PKR/Month Dec/16 30326 Living Wage Individual 16967 PKR/Month Dec/16 16909 Wages High Skilled…

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN Details 2017 Total Population (Million) 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.86 Life Expectancy (Year) – Female 68.2 – Male 65.8

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – APRIL % CHANGES 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 CPI 4.09 2.79 4.81 SPI 1.51 1.44 1.86 WPI 4.00 -1.30 0.03

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Callum Brodie Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]Y[/dropcap]oung people feel that they’re not being listened to by global decision makers. But with over half of the world’s population under the age of 30, it won’t be long before they will be making their voices heard. Almost 25,000 people aged between 18 and 35 from 186 countries and territories took part in the Global Shapers Annual Survey 2017. It showed that 55.9% of respondents believe their views are not being taken into account before important decisions are made. But young people’s influence will only get stronger as they occupy an increasing…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Charlotte Edmond Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome countries have much larger shadow or unofficial economies than others. Greece’s shadow economy is worth over a fifth of its total output, and Italy’s isn’t far behind. This chart, based on research by Germany’s Institute for Applied Economic Research (IAW) at the University of Tübingen, shows southern European countries dominating the top of a list of selected industrialized countries with shadow economies. Image: Forbes [ads1] What is the shadow economy? It is the total value of transactions by businesses and individuals that occurs “off the books”. In other words, work done for…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]John McKenna Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]E[/dropcap]ver had that moment of panic when your smartphone is down to 1% battery and you don’t have a charger? Or how about the cold, clammy dread when you realise you’ve left your phone at home? You might be suffering from “nomophobia”. This “no mobile phone” phobia is an emerging term that some psychologists use to describe the fear people have of being without their smartphone. And the latest evidence suggests that it happens because these devices have become so personalized that they are seen as extensions of ourselves. Image: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Paul Goodwin, University of Bath[/box] [dropcap]S[/dropcap]atnav systems have been blamed for all kinds of motoring mishaps. In one notable incident, a German motorist drove straight into the Havel river after following the instructions of his device. The gadget display showed a bridge across the river when it should have indicated a ferry. Ignoring warnings from passengers, passersby and flashing red lights, the driver obediently steered his BMW off the end of the ferry ramp into 13ft of water. This unquestioning faith in computers is called automation bias. But oddly, when people make forecasts – of investment…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Ben Ashby, University of Bath[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s fair to say parasites are generally bad for their hosts. Many cause disease and death so, like most species, we humans usually try to avoid infection at all costs. But it turns out that some parasites, although potentially harmful in isolation, can in fact help hosts to cope with more deadly infections. Understanding when parasitism is beneficial has important implications for how we manage infectious diseases, but we currently know very little about this phenomenon. Our new study, published in Evolution Letters, tells us that parasites can readily evolve different…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Gregor Gall, University of Bradford[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]orkers in two McDonald’s restaurants will make history on September 4 when they become the company’s first ever workers in Britain to go on strike. They will join a growing band of McDonald’s employees around the world that have unionised to fight one of the biggest and best known global fast food operators. The issues at the two restaurants – one in Cambridge, the other in Crayford, southeast London – relate to cuts in hours so that workers there cannot make a living wage and regarding allegations of bullying. This led…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Dr Timothy Hodgetts Research Fellow in the Geopolitics of Wildlife Conservation, University of Oxford[/box] [dropcap]S[/dropcap]elf-driving cars will change how we live, in all sorts of ways. But they won’t just affect us humans – the coming revolution in autonomous transport has significant implications for wildlife as well. Nature conservationists and planners need to think hard about the impact of driverless vehicles, most notably in terms of renewed urban sprawl. In some ways, wider developments in automotive technology bode well for the environment. Electric cars will increasingly replace the internal combustion engine, and that should, in theory, reduce carbon…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Hayley Wright, Coventry University[/box] [dropcap]R[/dropcap]esearch into how we can keep our brains healthy as we age has gained momentum in recent years. There is now an increased focus on the changes that we can makes to our health and lifestyle, which may prevent dementia. Here are some things that research has shown reduce a person’s risk of cognitive decline with age. Sex Our latest study shows that having more sex is associated with better cognitive function. We recruited 28 men and 45 women, aged between 50 and 83, to take part in our study. We found…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Nicholas Chilton, University of Manchester[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is an adage that says that data will expand to fill all available capacity. Perhaps ten or 20 years ago, it was common to stockpile software programs, MP3 music, films and other files, which may have taken years to collect. In the days when hard disk drives offered a few tens of gigabytes of storage, running out of space was almost inevitable. Now that we have fast broadband internet and think nothing of downloading a 4.7 gigabyte DVD, we can amass data even more quickly. Estimates of the total amount…

Interview with Mr Sultan Hamdani – Founder and partner, Maison Consulting Pakistan and Gulf Economist once again got a chance to meet the passionate man, Mr. Sultan Hamdani, the founder and partner of Maison Consulting, a company with 185 plus successful projects across 22 different countries across the globe, below are the few highlights of our chat:. PAGE: BRIEFLY TELL US ABOUT MAISON CONSULTING, HOW WAS IT STARTED AND HOW IS THE JOURNEY SO FAR? SULTAN HAMDANI: Maison Consulting was founded back in 2002 with a vision to help companies achieve optimum level of efficiencies through implementation of integrated systems,…

MARKET REVIEW The local bourse shed 437pts during the week and closed at 42,642pts, down by 1.0%WoW. The market observed weaker participation from the investors which is accredited to the prevailing political concerns and growing CAD, exhibiting a decline in ADT and ADTV by 2.1%WoW and 1.4%WoW respectively. Foreign institutional investors remained net seller during the week with an outflow of USD9.8mn. During the week, two Chinese auto companies showed interest in setting up an assembling unit in Pakistan. Furthermore, China signed an agreement to build oil refinery in Dera Ismail Khan. On the other hand, Auditor General of Pakistan…

INDEX CUT LOSSES ON SUPPORT FROM LOCAL INSTITUTIONS BUT REMAINS BEARISH SUMMARY Due to political uncertainty created by the NAB reference and its development over Sharif family in the week, the stock investors remained in uncertain mode. The volume again declined to the average of 141 million shares from 183 million last week. The foreign investors and individual investors were net seller by $9.77m and $0.41m respectively. However the market was ably supported by local institutions. The Banks were net buyer by $12.53m, Mutual Funds $3.16 m, and Company buyer by $2.58m. The KSE-100 Index declined to 42,641.75 a drop…

PAKISTAN: INTEL COFFE LAKE-U 15W CPUS DETAILED- CORE 17-8650U, CORE I7-8550U PERFORMANCE AND SPECIFICATIONS UNVEILED IN MULTIPLE LEAKS: Intel will be officially announcing their 8th Gen Coffee Lake processors today but there are multiple leaks before the announcement. While the desktop lineup has been caught up in rumors mill for a while we are now looking at notebook chips which will come under 15W TDP package. GOOGLE ANDROID O RELEASES NEXT WEEK: Android O (Oreo) or Android O is to be launched at an event in New York next week. Google has been teasing latest version of its Android OS…

REEM AL HASHEMI DISCUSSES EXPO 2020 PROGRESS WITH KHALAF AHMAD AL HABTOOR Dubai: Reem Al Hashemi, the UAE Minister of State, and Managing Director for the Dubai World Expo 2020 Bid Committee, has discussed the progress of the upcoming Expo 2020 with Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, the company announced on Thursday. The meeting took place at the Al Habtoor Group head office. Al Hashemi briefed Al Habtoor on the progress made for the Dubai Expo 2020, whilst they discussed plans for the land that will be used for the World Expo following the event. The…

RUPEE STABLE AGAINST DOLLAR The rupee remained stable against the dollar at 105.3/105.5 in the inter-bank market on Friday compared to Thursday’s close of 105.3/105.5, Kamal Hayder, Research Analyst-PAGE said. The currency market has fluctuated regularly in recent months with hefty rises and falls on some occasions. In the long run, however, the rupee has stood firm after experiencing extensive volatility, when it weakened from around Rs98 to a dollar to above Rs103 in the wake of political impasse over alleged election rigging. The central bank has imposed 100% cash margin on the import of certain consumer goods to restrict…

KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW TO LEAD INFY CEO SEARCH, TO ALSO TAP ALUMNI BENGALURU: Nandan Nilekani, the non-executive chairman of Infosys, said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will lead the search of the new chief executive as head of the nominations and remunerations committee, whose responsibility will also include search for new board members. Infosys board, which till a few days ago had 11 members, saw a dramatic churn on Thursday when four of its members, including erstwhile non-executive chairman R Seshasayee and executive vice chairman Vishal Sikka resigned with immediate effect after Nilekani joined. Co-chairman Ravi Venkatesan also stepped down though he remained…

TCF ADP CERTIFICATE CEREMONY HELD A certificate distribution ceremony, conducted by the TCF Ambassadors at IBA, was held on 25th August, 2017. The session primarily intended to appreciate the efforts of, and express gratitude to the volunteers, students and IBA admin who participated in TCF Alumni Development Programme (ADP). The session started off with Mr. Riaz Kamlani, the Vice President of TCF, informing the audience on the history of TCF as it evolved from teaching primary school kids to successfully expanding to include the Alumni Development Programme (ADP), which now prepares students for admission in top tier Pakistani universities. He…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.70 6.20 2 – Week 5.72 6.22 1 – Month 5.76 6.26 3 – Month 5.89 6.14 6 – Month 5.90 6.15 9 – Month 5.94 6.44 1 – Year 5.96 6.46 2 – Year 6.06 6.56 3- Year 6.21 6.71

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. Economic indicators include various indices, earnings reports, and economic summaries. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding][tie_list type=”plus”] PAKISTAN – ECONOMIC INDICATORS Overview Last Reference Previous MARKETS Currency 105 Aug/17 105 Stock Market 43127 points Aug/17 42911 LABOUR Unemployment Rate 5.9 % Dec/15 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand Dec/15 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand Dec/15 3580 Population 194 Million Dec/16 190 Living Wage Family 30448 PKR/Month Dec/16 30326 Living Wage Individual 16967 PKR/Month Dec/16 16909 Wages High Skilled 43600 PKR/Month Jun/16…

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN DETAILS 2015 2016 Total Population (Million) 191.71 195.4 Urban Population (Million) 75.19 77.93 Rural Population (Million) 116.52 117.48 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.2 3.1 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 26.1 25.6 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.80 6.70 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.92 1.89 LIFE EXPECTANCY (YEAR) – Female 67.3…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – APRIL % CHANGES 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 CPI 4.09 2.79 4.81 SPI 1.51 1.44 1.86 WPI 4.00 -1.30 0.03

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Author: Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull[/box] [dropcap]I’m[/dropcap] sitting on a train when a group of football fans streams on. Fresh from the game – their team has clearly won – they occupy the empty seats around me. One picks up a discarded newspaper and chuckles derisively as she reads about the latest “alternative facts” peddled by Donald Trump. The others soon chip in with their thoughts on the US president’s fondness for conspiracy theories. The chatter quickly turns to other conspiracies and I enjoy eavesdropping while the group brutally mock…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Ala Sirriyeh, Keele University[/box] [dropcap]Y[/dropcap]oung immigrants from across the US participated in the first act of civil disobedience by undocumented youth under the Trump administration on July 26 in Texas. After protesters sat in the street outside the state capitol building in Austin, blocking traffic, 15 undocumented young people and their allies were arrested. They were eventually released. These protests were sparked by increased immigration enforcement against the undocumented population since the election of Donald Trump, including his pledge to end a temporary form of relief from deportation that has been available to many undocumented youth…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Sujatha Raman, University of Nottingham and Warren Pearce, University of Sheffield[/box] [dropcap]O[/dropcap]n numerous matters including food, health and the environment, experts are called upon to communicate the implications of scientific evidence for particular choices. It may be tempting to highlight simple messages from complex evidence. But as the recent controversy over advice on antibiotics shows, there is a risk of such messages backfiring when new evidence comes to light. So in these fractious times of “alternative facts”, how best can experts build trust with the public? Evidence provided by science is often mixed, incomplete, changeable or…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Sarah Gerson, Cardiff University; Merideth Gattis, Cardiff University, and Netta Weinstein, Cardiff University[/box] [dropcap]B[/dropcap]efore babies start saying words, it is hard for parents to know whether their little one actually understands the things that they say to them. Many parenting magazines and books recommend speaking to children even before parents think their babies can understand what they’re saying – and sometimes even before they’re born – because it helps babies to recognise voices and begin to learn about language. You may wonder, though, if a baby has no idea what is being spoken to them, does…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]John McKenna, Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he rise and fall of civilizations over the past 4,000 years is reflected by the rise and fall of the number of people living in their great cities. Between 2050 BC and the projected populations of 2050, the global centres of civilization have swung between the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America. The ancient world Modern-day Iraq, Egypt and China all played host to the world’s largest cities for the first two millennia of this 4,000-year period. With a population of just 35,000, the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis was the…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Chris Doucouliagos, Professor of Economics[/box] [dropcap]A[/dropcap] world where a few people have most of the wealth motivates others who are poor to strive to earn more. And when they do, they’ll invest in businesses and other areas of the economy. That’s the argument for inequality. But it’s wrong. Our study of 21 OECD countries over more than a 100 years shows income inequality actually restricts people from earning more, educating themselves and becoming entrepreneurs. That flows on to businesses who in turn invest less in things like plant and equipment. dfjsdfj Inequality makes it harder for…

MARKET REVIEW The stock market maintained the downward trajectory in this week (except Tuesday, where the market exhibited meager recovery of 287pts), closing at 43,078pts, a decrease of 4.9% from the prior week amidst political uncertainty. Weaker participation in the market can be attributed to receding investor’s confidence, where ADT decreased by 3.4%WoW on the contrary a 2.6%WoW increase in ADTV depicts a shift towards large cap stocks. Foreigner has also been a net seller in this week exhibiting an outflow of USD2mn. During the week, MLCF issued 12.5% rights to finance its brownfield expansion. Cane Commissioner of Punjab ordered…

POLITICAL TURMOIL CONTINUE TO HAMMER KSE-100 INDEX, SHEDDING 2,210 POINTS SUMMARY The week at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), shorter by one day, due to holiday on Pakistan’s 70th anniversary on 14th August, continued its sliding trend this week too. PSX felt the heat of political tension developing due to number of events, which created uncertainty for the investors. As such after losing 1,588 points last week, this week it further lost 2,210 points .Volume too declined to 183 million from 190 million last week. The market capitalization decreased from Rs9.421 trillion to Rs8.991 trillion this week. KSE-100 Index hit lowest…

PAKISTAN: CCP IMPOSES PKR 10 MILLION PENALTY ON COLGATE-PALMOLIVE PAKISTAN: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has passed an order imposing a penalty of PKR 10 million on Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. for running a deceptive marketing campaign for one of its products, ‘Max All Purpose Cleaner’ (Max APC), in violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010. CIS AND KPITB SIGNED AN AGREEMENT FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF TELEMEDICINE CENTER: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board and COMSATS Internet Services (CIS) signed an agreement today for establishment and operation of Telemedicine center in District Mansehra, KPK. The ceremony was chaired…

UAE BIG CLEARANCE SALE: 80% OFF DESIGNER LABELS Dubai: In a city populated with malls and shopping centres, one can’t seem to get enough of discounts. Just a few days after the sales at the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) ended, it was announced that more than 50 designer labels are clearing their excess inventory and giving away heavily discounted shoes, bags, clothes in one venue this month. Organisers of the Big Clearance Sale announced that several premium brands have enlisted to offer more than 80 per cent off on a wide array of merchandise. For the second time this…

CURRENCY: PKR STABLE AGAINST $ The rupee remained stable against the dollar at 105.3/105.5 in the inter-bank market on Friday compared to Thursday’s close of 105.3/105.5, Kamal Hayder, Research Analyst-PAGE said. The currency market has fluctuated regularly in recent months with hefty rises and falls on some occasions. In the long run, however, the rupee has stood firm after experiencing extensive volatility, when it weakened from around Rs98 to a dollar to above Rs103 in the wake of political impasse over alleged election rigging. The central bank has imposed 100 percent cash margin on the import of certain consumer goods…

STRICTER PENALTIES FOR CALL DROPS NEW DELHI: Telecom regulator Trai has increased the penalty for call drops and imposed stricter financial disincentives, running up to Rs 10 lakh if poor consumer services are provided for three straight quarters. The measure comes nearly one year after Trai’s move to award compensation to consumers for every dropped call was quashed by the Supreme Court. “We have proposed financial disincentive in the range of Rs 1-5 lakh. It is a graded penalty system depending on the performance of a network,” Trai Chairman RS Sharma said. SK Gupta, secretary in the regulatory agency, said…

NBP PRESIDENT VISITS QUETTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & THE BANK’S BRANCHES IN THE CITY Saeed Ahmad, President and CEO of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) visited the bank’s regional office and branches in Quetta to participate in town hall meetings, while also addressing a gathering of local businessmen at Quetta Chamber of Commerce. Highlighting NBP’s role in the development of Balochistan, Saeed Ahmad assured the members that the problems of the banking sector are his topmost priority and will be catered to at the earliest. The effective meeting showcased that additional promotion of the Prime Minister Youth Business loan scheme…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.71 6.21 2 – Week 5.73 6.23 1 – Month 5.76 6.26 3 – Month 5.89 6.14 6 – Month 5.90 6.15 9 – Month 5.94 6.44 1 – Year 5.96 6.46 2 – Year 6.07 6.57 3- Year 6.21 6.71

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. Economic indicators include various indices, earnings reports, and economic summaries. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding][tie_list type=”plus”] PAKISTAN – ECONOMIC INDICATORS Overview Last Reference Previous MARKETS Currency 105 Aug/17 105 Stock Market 43899 points Aug/17 45288 Government Bond 10Y 8.1 % Aug/17 8.1 LABOUR Unemployment Rate 5.9 % Dec/15 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand Dec/15 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand Dec/15 3580 Population 194 Million Dec/16 190 Living Wage Family 30448 PKR/Month Dec/16 30326 Living Wage Individual 16967 PKR/Month Dec/16…

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN DETAILS 2015 2016 Total Population (Million) 191.71 195.4 Urban Population (Million) 75.19 77.93 Rural Population (Million) 116.52 117.48 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.2 3.1 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 26.1 25.6 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.80 6.70 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.92 1.89 LIFE EXPECTANCY (YEAR) – Female 67.3…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – APRIL % CHANGES 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 CPI 4.09 2.79 4.81 SPI 1.51 1.44 1.86 WPI 4.00 -1.30 0.03

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Author: Janet Krska, University of Kent[/box] [dropcap]M[/dropcap]ost people aren’t aware that high street pharmacies offer much more than dispensing and selling medicines. Many also provide a wide range of services designed to improve public health, like supporting people to stop smoking, providing emergency contraception and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Some also offer the national NHS Health Check, which identifies people with high blood pressure diabetes and chronic kidney disease and gives them information about the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. This gives people the opportunity to make changes to protect their health.…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Author: Charlotte O’Brien, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of York [/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t has emerged that the team being sent to Brussels to lead on talks to take Britain out of the EU includes just one woman – out of nine named negotiators. This imbalance is not only embarrassing. It’s negligent. Failing to include women on the frontline of this incredibly important process jeopardises the quality of the negotiations. Men don’t know (or do) what’s best for women Having women on your team matters – and not just because of optics. It affects the quality of the…

GBP/USD WEEKLY OVERVIEW Pound traded close to 11 Months high against weak Dollar on Wednesday as it was expected that Bank of England might take some decision regarding hike in interest rates. It is also point of satisfaction that purchasing manager’s index survey has reflected a strong growth in Britain’s construction industry and manufacturing sector. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney declared no change in interest rates and stressed the need to keep the interest rates at a record low. Eventually Pound dipped down as much as 0.8% against the Dollar to $ 1.3113. TECHNICAL STUDY USING LUTFI MAGNET THEORY…

MARKET REVIEW The week started off on a bearish note with index declining by 3.4%WoW to close at 45,288pts. Anxiety over domestic politics heightened as ousted PM kicked off a populist march while another prominent leader announced to hold sit in and rallies. The activity in local bourse remained dull amidst political noise as evident from a decrease of 46%WoW and 42%WoW in ADT and ADTV respectively. Foreigners remained net sellers during the week with a net FIPI outflow of USD31.16mn. During the week, BOD of KEL approved development of 900MW (450MWx2) RLNG based combined cycle power plant. Also, KAPCO…

POLITICAL SHOWDOWN PUSHES KSE-100 INDEX DOWN AMID THIN TRADING SUMMARY During the week the political temperature in the country kept on high and low as per the movement of the rally of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who chose to go on confrontation mode against the Panama Papers decision. This created uncertainty for equity investors who kept remain on sidelines. This is the evidence from thin trading, which dropped around 45 percent to an average of 189.92 million shares per day this week. The KSE-100 Index too dropped by 1588.88 points to close at 45,288.49. Last Friday, the Index closed…

PAKISTAN: AMD RYZEN THREADRIPPER 1950X FIRST BENCHMARKS PUBLISHED: The first round of third party benchmarks for AMD’s all new ultra high-end Ryzen Threadripper 1950X CPU are here and they are really impressive!. The results were published by LinusTechTips in a review via VCZ of Ryzen Threadripper powered Alienware Area-51 system. NVIDIA UNSHACKLES QUADRO PERFORMANCE ON TITAN CLASS GRAPHICS CARDS: The latest drivers 385.12 is helping NVIDIA to bring Quardo level performance and feature on their existing Titan series. The driver is specifically meant to improve the overall performance for creative professionals and pro workstations users. According to the company, new…

MAJOR MISMATCH BETWEEN IT TALENT, JOB MARKET DEMAND IN GCC Dubai: Techies graduating out of universities from the Gulf are likely to find it tough to get jobs as there are no engineering facilities for most American technology companies operating in the region. Technology is a vital part of every industry but there is a severe shortage of skilled professionals globally and regionally due to an insanely fast speed of technological development. Cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Bengaluru and Singapore are considered hubs for technology innovation and attract talent. So, what is the scope for techies graduating out…

RUPEE STABLE AGAINST DOLLAR The rupee remained stable against the dollar at 105.3/105.5 in the inter-bank market on Thursday compared to Wednesday’s close of 105.3/105.5, Kamal Hayder, Research Analyst-PAGE said. The currency market has fluctuated regularly in recent months with hefty rises and falls on some occasions. In the long run, however, the rupee has stood firm after experiencing extensive volatility, when it weakened from around Rs98 to a dollar to above Rs103 in the wake of political impasse over alleged election rigging. He further said that the central bank has imposed 100 percent cash margin on the import of…

AADHAAR MAY BECOME MANDATORY FOR BUYING SHARES, MUTUAL FUNDS MUMBAI: Aadhaar may soon become mandatory for buying shares and mutual funds. The government and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) are planning to link Aadhaar to financial market transactions to try and curb sharp practices such as conversion of black money into white through the stock market. Two people familiar with the development said the government has realised that the permanent account number (PAN) may not be enough to plug tax leaks. Top Sebi officials have informally sounded out select market intermediaries about the possibility of linking Aadhaar…

TPL LIFE AND MOBILINK MICROFINANCE BANK ENTER INTO A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TPL Life and Mobilink Microfinance Bank (MMFB) have inked an agreement whereby TPL Life’s innovative life insurance and health insurance products will be available through Mobilink Microfinance Bank branches. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Faisal Abbasi, CEO, TPL Life while shedding light on the importance of insurance products designed for the needs of the common man said, “Since our inception, we have made it a point to be at the forefront of product innovation in the insurance industry. Our products available through MMFB are tailor made to cater to…