TOP 10 DEADLIEST DISEASES IN THE WORLD 1. Coronary Artery Disease (Ischemic Heart Disease) 6. HIV/AIDS 2. Stroke 7. Diarrheal Diseases 3. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 8. Diabetes Mellitus 4. Lower Respiratory Infections 9. Preterm Birth Complications 5. Trachea, Bronchus, and Lung Cancers 10. Tuberculosis (TB) [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] 5 MAJOR COUNTRIES WITH THE WORST HEALTH CARE 1. New Zealand 2. Norway 3. France 4. Canada 5. United states [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] MORTALITY RATE IN PAKISTAN Details 2012 2013 2014 2015 Maternal mortality 197 190 184 178 Infant mortality 71 69 67 66…
Author: S. Kamal Hayder Kazmi
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Karachi, set up during 1985, is the primary teaching site of the Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Faculty of Health Sciences. The hospital offers a wide range of secondary and tertiary care, counting diagnosis of disease and team management of patient care. The hospital’s multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosis and care ensures a continuum of safe and high quality care for patients – with all services under one roof. The hospital promotes the Aga Khan University’s aim of promoting human welfare in general and the welfare of the citizens of Pakistan in particular, by disseminating…
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]orporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means a responsible business. It is also a perception of having a corporate conscience or corporate citizenship along with company’s and employee development. This fast and ready concept of CSR has been the focus of many deliberations and research and taking its growth and importance both academically and in the business sense of development. It captures a spectrum of values and criteria for measuring a company’s contribution to social development. The central theme of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that the social responsibilities are the social forces operating in every society making corporates…
NEWBUILDING ACTIVITY RETURNS BUT ON ‘SNAIL PACE’ It seems that the trend set in 2016, when newbuilding orders hit a multi-year low is going to spill over to 2017 as well, with the majority of ship owners shying away from contracting, despite attractive prices. It is also noted that in tankers, although contracted before the end of last year, it has been reported this week that Clients of Pleiades Shipping Agents have placed an order for two firm plus two optional 50,000 DWT MR Tankers at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. The two firm units will deliver in 1H 2018 and the…
CHINA SCRAPS MORE THAN 100 POWER PLANTS China has announced plans to cancel more than 100 coal plants currently in development, scrapping what would amount to a massive 120 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired electricity capacity if the plants were completed. For a bit of context, the entire US has approximately 305 GW gigawatts of coal capacity in total, and this massive adjustment leaves room for China to advance its development of clean, renewable energy. Despite China’s much-publicized pollution problems, the reason for the cancellations is because the country was actually vastly exceeding its planned coal capacity for the future. Per…
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]OMMON CORE OF UNITY THERE HAS TO BE A “COMMON CULTURE” OR AT LEAST A “CULTURAL AFFINITY.” Successful diversification by acquisition, like all successful diversification, requires a common core of unity. The two businesses must have in common either markets or technology; through occasionally a comparable production process has also provided sufficient unity of experience and expertise, as well as a common language, to bring companies together. With-out such a core of unity, diversification, especially by acquisition, never works; financial ties alone are insufficient. One example is a big French company that has been built by acquiring producers of all…
Market indicators are a series of technical indicators used by traders to predict the direction of the major financial indexes. Most market indicators are created by analyzing the number of companies that have reached new highs relative to the number that created new lows, also known as market breadth. PAKISTAN MARKET INDICATORS EXCHANGE RATES CURRENCY ACTIVITY Friday 9-Dec Sat 17-Dec Friday 23-Dec Friday 30-Dec Friday 6-Jan Friday 13-Jan DOLLAR Buying 107.3 107.75 108.5 108.2 108.35 108.4 Selling 107.6 108.05 108.8 108.5 108.65 108.7 POUND Buying 134.5 133.25 133 131.75 132.75 131.25 Selling 136.25 135 134.75 133.5 134.5 133 EURO Buying…
INSURANCE SECTOR IN PAKISTAN DURING NINE MONTH PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 (Non-Life Members) (PKR in ‘000) S.No Name of Companies * Premium Written Net Premium Revenue Net Claims Net Commission (Income)/Expense Management Expenses Gen. Admin. Exp+ Financial +Other Exp. Investment Income/(Loss) 1 Adamjee Insurance 8,298,411 4,106,445 2,321,036 246,352 942,444 436,827 2,818,883 2 Alfalah Ins. Co 1,543,342 646,046 361,117 -52,503 195,128 81,984 64,339 3 Allianz EFU Health 1,610,643 908,107 723,191 -50,127 140,409 46,912 78,979 4 Alpha Insurance 120,475 59,585 56,487 8,085 51,470 20,004 52,869 5 Asia Insurance 421,402 309,968 50,869 55,393 94,704 49,228 34,552 6 Askari Gen. Insc. 1,703,632 938,353 459,755…
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]akistan’s Insurance sector is relatively small compared to its peers in the region. The insurance penetration and density stayed very modest as against to other jurisdictions while the insurance sector remained underdeveloped relative to its potential. As of December 2014, the sector’s total premium revenue reached at over Rs108 billion, which is 0.80 percent of GDP. In the year closing 2014, the sector received Rs60 billion in premium in the non-life segments spread over 39 firms, Rs48 billion in the life sector, spread between 5 firms of the private sector. However, a bigger portion belongs to the state-owned life insurance…
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 1990, the Government of Pakistan reopened the life insurance business to the private sector organizations and EFU Life Assurance Limited started operations in November 1992 as the first private sector life insurance company. In early 1993, EFU Life commenced its Group life insurance business and by March 1994, the company began writing its individual life business. Now, with over 2-decade passed, the firm has greater than 175 branches and a dedicated sales force of 4,000; it also provides insurance products by other channels like bancassurance. EFU Life has seen a solid double-digit growth in its net premiums in each…
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he United Insurance Company of Pakistan Limited (UIC) was established during 1959 and was operational in Pakistan counting East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). UIC is operating greater than 100 branches in the entire country and is doing general business counting Fire Insurance, Marine, Motor – Auto Sure Plan, Livestock, Crop Insurance, Engineering, Travel Insurance, Health Insurance Plan, Travel & Cargo Agents Guarantees, Personal Accident Policy for Students, Shop Secure Plan Plus, Self Secure Plan Plus, Education Secure Plan, Home Secure Plan and Banker’s Blanket Insurance. UIC: SELF SECURE PLAN PLUS Protection Plans Segment Gold Platinum 1.Accident Protection 500,000 1,000,000 2.Medical Expenses…
BANKS PUSH PAKISTAN STOCKS DOWN Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) came under pressure as the financiers opted to book profit on available margins on the last trading day Friday. Banking sector led the decline and the benchmark KSE-100 index fell by 306.52 points to 49,210.50 points. The market opened on a positive note and the index hit 49,670.84 points intra-day high level, however selling pressure in different sectors pushed the index into the negative territory at 49,151.47 points intra-day low level. Trading activity also remained low as the daily trading volumes on the ready counter decreased to 514.224 million shares as…
OIL RATES STUMBLE AFTER STRONG JUMP IN US CRUDE STOCKS Crude prices slipped Thursday after data showed a stronger-than-expected increase in US crude and distillate fuel stocks at a time when oil exports out of the Middle East are surging. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in February CLH7, +0.36 percent traded at $52.16 a barrel, down 9 cents in the Globex electronic session. March Brent crude LCOH7, +0.60 percent on London’s ICE Futures exchange was flat at $55.10 a barrel. For the week ended January 6, U.S. domestic crude stockpiles rose by 4.1…
ROCKY PATH AHEAD FOR ASIA TANKER MARKET Asia’s crude tanker market faces the double whammy of a flood of newbuild deliveries and a cut in OPEC production in Q1 2017. On the supply side, net capacity growth is estimated to be around 5 percent for VLCCs, 9.6 percent for Suezmaxes and 7 percent for the Aframaxes/ LR2 segment in 2017. At least 50 percent of the newbuild VLCCs and Suezmaxes will be delivered in Q1, worsening the oversupply of tonnage. On the demand side, OPEC’s planned output cut of 1.2 mmb/d starting January will lead to less crude export cargoes…
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]USINESS NOT FINANCIAL STRATEGY “THERE AIN’T NO BARGAINS,” AND “YOU GET AT MOST WHAT YOU PAY FOR,” Successful acquisitions are based upon business plans, not financial analyses. Acquisition targets must fit the business strategies of the acquiring company; other wise, the acquisition is likely to fail. The worst acquisition record of the last decades of the twentieth century was that of Peter Grace, the longtime CEP of W. R. Grace. He was a brilliant man. He set out in the 1950s to build a world-class multinational through financially-based acquisitions. He assembled the ablest group of financial analysts and had them…
Market indicators are a series of technical indicators used by traders to predict the direction of the major financial indexes. Most market indicators are created by analyzing the number of companies that have reached new highs relative to the number that created new lows, also known as market breadth. PAKISTAN MARKET INDICATORS EXCHANGE RATES CURRENCY ACTIVITY Friday 2-Dec Friday 9-Dec Sat 17-Dec Friday 23-Dec Friday 30-Dec Friday 6-Jan DOLLAR Buying 107.7 107.3 107.75 108.5 108.2 108.35 Selling 108 107.6 108.05 108.8 108.5 108.65 POUND Buying 134.75 134.5 133.25 133 131.75 132.75 Selling 136.5 136.25 135 134.75 133.5 134.5 EURO Buying…
PETROLEUM PRICES IN PAKISTAN (Rs/Ltr) DATE HOBC PREMIUM HS DIESEL LS DIESEL KEROSENE Jan 02, 2017 72.68 66.27 75.22 43.35 43.25 Dec 01, 2016 72.68 66.27 75.22 43.35 43.25 Nov 01, 2016 72.68 64.27 72.52 43.35 43.25 Oct 01, 2016 72.68 64.27 72.52 43.35 43.25 Sep 01, 2016 72.68 64.27 72.52 43.35 43.25 Aug 01, 2016 72.68 64.27 72.52 43.35 43.25 Jul 01, 2016 72.68 64.27 72.52 43.35 43.25 Jun 01, 2016 72.62 64.27 75.86 40.2 45.23 May 01, 2016 72.62 64.27 72.52 37.97 43.25 Apr 01, 2016 72.62 64.27 72.52 37.97 43.25 Mar 01, 2016 72.62 62.77 71.12 37.97…
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]etroleum products account for a substantial portion of Pakistan’s import bill. During FY2011-12, Pakistan imported $18.9 billion worth of crude oil but courtesy of the steep decline in the commodity’ foreign price, oil imports came down to $7.9 billion during FY2015-16. The savings on oil import enabled the country to increase the purchase of machinery and other capital equipment essential for development without having the present account deficit shoot up. Not only that, low oil rates were instrumental in keeping the general price level from rocketing. Thus greater than any other factor, low oil rates were accountable for single-digit inflation…
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or the past 39 years, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has been fueling the needs of the state and acknowledged as the leading public sector company of Pakistan, the company has been driving the wheels of the nationwide economy. It is the first public company to pass the 1 trillion rupee revenue mark. Presently the management of company is engaged in the marketing and distribution of various POL products counting Motor Gasoline (Mogas), Furnace Oil (FO), Jet Fuel (JP-1), High Speed Diesel (HSD), Kerosene, LPG, CNG, Petrochemicals and Lubricants. PSO has the most wide-spread retail network in Pakistan with over 3,500…
PSX STANDS ANOTHER MILESTONE Pakistan Stock Exchange on Friday achieved another milestoneas the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossed 49,000 points psychological level andended at new high of 49,038.23 points with healthy increase of 324.60 points. Trading activities also improved on the last trading day ofthe week as daily trading volumes increased to 430.724 million shares ascompared to 329.241 million shares traded on Thursday. Total market capitalization rose by Rs 41 billion to Rs 9.795trillion. Out of total 423 active scrips, 264 closed in positive and 140 innegative while value of 19 stocks remained unchanged. The foreign investors,however remained net sellers of…
GOLD RISES NEARLY 4-WEEK HIGH Gold rose to the highest in nearly four weeks on Wednesday as the dollar edged back from a 14-year peak and physical demand from major consumers China and India increased. Spot gold climbed to its highest since December 9 at $1,167.83 an ounce and was up 0.2 percent at $1,161.2 by 2:49 p.m. EST (1949 GMT). US gold futures settled up 0.3 percent at $1,165.30. The dollar index has consolidated and the big outflow from exchange-traded products (ETPs), which has been the biggest headwind for gold in the past few months, has stopped recently. [divider…
SULPHUR OIL AND BALLAST WATER TREATMENT SET RULE FOR VESSELS NOW Shipowners around the world are faced with increasing costs, which could offset any potential rebound of freight rates over the course of the next year or so, as a series of new regulations are bound to necessitate new investments in the existing fleet. First off, the entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention means that by this coming September all vessels will have to be fitted with some sort of BWM system, preferably approved by the US Coast Guard as well, otherwise the ship won’t be able…
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]ESOURCE-ALLOCATION DECISIONS THE ALLOCATION OF CAPITAL AND PEOPLE DETERMINE WHETHER THE ORGANIZATION WILL DO WELL OR POORLY. The allocation of capital and performing people converts into action all that management knows about its business – they determine whether the organization will do well or well or poorly. An organization should allocate human resources as purposefully and as thoughtfully as it allocates capital. To understand a capital investment, a company has to look at four measures: return on investment, payback period, cash flow, and discounted present value. Each of these four measures tells the executive something different about a prospective capital…
Market indicators are a series of technical indicators used by traders to predict the direction of the major financial indexes. Most market indicators are created by analyzing the number of companies that have reached new highs relative to the number that created new lows, also known as market breadth. PAKISTAN MARKET INDICATORS EXCHANGE RATES CURRENCY ACTIVITY Friday 25-Nov Friday 2-Dec Friday 9-Dec Sat 17-Dec Friday 23-Dec Friday 30-Dec DOLLAR Buying 107.15 107.7 107.3 107.75 108.5 108.2 Selling 107.45 108 107.6 108.05 108.8 108.5 POUND Buying 133.5 134.75 134.5 133.25 133 131.75 Selling 135.25 136.5 136.25 135 134.75 133.5 EURO Buying…
CREDIT/LOANS CLASSIFIED BY BORROWERS (Outstanding position at the end of month) (Million Rupees) Description June-15 Nov-15 June-16R Nov-16P 1. Credit to Government Sector (A+B) 7,265,070 7,386,711 8,109,581 8,363,132 A. SBP Credit to Government Sector (Net) 1,987,950 1,625,627 1,454,273 2,498,439 B. Scheduled Banks Credit to Government Sector (Net) 5,277,120 5,761,084 6,655,308 5,864,693 2. Credit to Non Government Sector (A+B) 4,409,977 4,487,285 4,953,550 5,096,059 A. SBP Credit to Non Govt. Sector 29,826 32,953 32,603 33,185 B. Scheduled Banks Credit to Non Govt.Sector (I+II+III) 4,380,151 4,454,332 4,920,948 5,062,874 I. Credit to PSEs 611,812 646,694 749,837 796,361 II. Credit to NBFIs 117,274 109,065 129,258 134,942…
Bank registers satisfactory results in Q1-2016 [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n continuation of National Bank of Pakistan journey for embracing the future banking, the bank has inked a deal with one of the world’s most distinguished card brands MasterCard. The Bank is cognizant of the future banking needs and the management of the Bank has embarked upon many technology steps aimed towards provision of multiple delivery channels; and this deal is part of the journey of offering best in class products. The signing with MasterCard was a significant milestone for NBP, as it will further offer NBP account holders choice of leading card schemes…
[dropcap]HBL[/dropcap] has delivered a consolidated profit after tax of Rs25.8 billion for the first nine months of 2016, slightly higher than the Rs25.7 billion achieved for the same period in 2015. Earnings per share (EPS) for the first nine months of 2016 were Rs17.47 as against to Rs17.53 in the comparable period of 2015. Pre-tax profit for the first three quarters of 2016 is Rs43.5 billion, 8.0 percent lower than for the corresponding period of 2015. The 2015 results included exceptional capital gains, chiefly because of re-profiling of the PIB portfolio, which were not predicted to be repeated. Excluding the…
BULLS TOSS PSX INDEX TO FRESH PEAK A bullish trend continued on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on the last trading day of the year 2016. The benchmark KSE-100 Index rose by 140.31 points to close at all-time high of 47,806.97 points Friday. The Index hit 47,938.65 points intra-day high, however it failed to sustain this level due to selling in select stocks at the fag end. Daily trading volumes stood at 387.301 million shares as compared to 390.854 million shares traded Thursday. The market capitalization increased by Rs 59 billion to Rs9.628 trillion. Out of total 409 active scrips, 203…
OIL FUTURES RETREAT FROM 17-MONTH HIGH Oil futures fell from the highest close in 17 months on Wednesday as an industry report was said to show US crude stockpiles climbed last week. Futures retreated 45 cents from the close after the American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday that nationwide crude inventories rose 4.2 million barrels last week. West Texas Intermediate oil settled higher for an eighth straight session, capping the longest stretch of gains in seven years as optimism mounts that major producers will make good on output-cut pledges in January. [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] GOLD RATES RISE BY MOST…
ASIA-EUROPE CONTAINERS RATE GROWS Spot rates for shipping containers from Asia to northern Europe rose 4.3 percent to US$1,049 per TEU in the week ending Friday. Asia-Mediterranean trade increased 1.7 percent to $963 per TEU. Asia to the US west coast fell 4.2 per cent week-over-week to $1,541 per FEU while those to the east coast off 0.5 percent to $2,613 per FEU. [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] SOUTH KOREA’S SHIPBUILDERS FACE GLOOMY YEAR South Korea’s top three shipbuilders are expected to suffer from tough business conditions in 2017 with their orders likely to reach levels similar to this year. In…
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]VA AS A PRODUCTIVITY MEASURE UNTIL A BUSINESS RETURNS A PROFIT THAT IS GREATER THAN ITS COST OF CAPITAL, IT DOES NOT CREATE WEALTH, IT DESTROYS IT. Measuring total-factor productivity is one of the major challenges confronting the executive in the age of knowledge work. For manual work, measuring quantity is usually sufficient. In knowledge work, we have to manage both quantity and quality, and we do not know yet how to do that. We must try to assess total-factor productivity using the common denominator of revenues and expenses. By measuring the value added over all costs, including the cost…