Business
Gold surges to record Rs376,700 amid global rally – SUCH TV
Gold prices in Pakistan climbed to a new record on Wednesday, following the global rally in the yellow metal. Softer US jobs data have fueled expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut later this month, driving the surge in both international and local markets.
Heightened global uncertainties also kept safe-haven demand strong, further fueling the uptrend.
According to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the price of gold per tola rose Rs6,000 to settle at a historic high of Rs376,700.
Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams climbed Rs5,144 to Rs322,959, also an all-time high.
A day earlier, domestic gold prices had remained stable, with the per-tola rate unchanged at Rs370,700.
On the global front, gold extended its record-breaking rally as investors bet on a potential rate cut by the US Fed amid soft employment data, while persistent geopolitical and economic risks sustained demand for the precious metal.
Interactive Commodities Director Adnan Agar noted that while gold continued to gain momentum, its rally appeared “very overextended.
” He highlighted that gold touched the high of $3,567 and was trading around $3,564, after hitting the low of $3,526.
“There are chances that it will make a correction after going near $3,580 or $3,600, and then it may fall back into the $3,460-3,500 range,” he said.
“The upcoming US data, including key releases on Thursday and Friday, will be critical for determining the next direction for gold.
” Market analysts believe that while the long-term outlook remains bullish due to global macroeconomic headwinds and investor flight to safety, short-term corrections cannot be ruled out, particularly if the upcoming US data springs a surprise and tempers rate cut expectations.
Spot gold was up 0.9% to $3,562.80 per ounce by 10:46 am EDT (1446 GMT), after hitting a record high of $3,565.57.
The World Gold Council, in collaboration with law firm Linklaters and consultancy firm Hilltop Walk Consulting, has announced a new framework to modernise the global gold market, according to Reuters.
The proposal introduces a new structure called Pooled Gold Interests, which allows investors to own a share of physical gold stored in vaults, including in small, fractional amounts.
The system is designed to make gold easier to trade and use, including as collateral in financial markets, and allow easy and secure transfer of gold interests between parties.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee extended its upward trend against the US dollar, inching up 0.01% in the inter-bank market.
By the day’s close, the currency stood at 281.71 per dollar, marking an improvement of one paisa. This also reflected the rupee’s 19th straight session of gains.
Since August 6, 2025, the local currency has appreciated a cumulative 96 paisa against the greenback. A day earlier, it had closed at 281.72.
Furthermore, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) raised Rs551.97 billion on Wednesday through auctions of government securities, including Rs36.74 billion via Pakistan Investment Bonds – Floating Rate (10-year) and Rs515.23 billion through Market Treasury Bills (three, six, and 12 months).
Business
Oil prices edge higher as Trump weighs Iran’s latest proposal to open Hormuz
Oil prices jumped on Tuesday as Donald Trump weighed Iran’s latest proposal to end the war.
The US president is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal, a US official said on Monday. Iranian sources disclosed that Tehran’s proposal avoided addressing its nuclear programme until hostilities cease and Gulf shipping disputes are resolved.
Trump’s displeasure with the Iranian offer leaves the conflict deadlocked, with Iran shutting shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries supply equal to about 20 per cent of global oil and gas consumption, and the US keeping in place its blockade of Iranian ports.
Brent crude rose to $108.13 per barrel, hovering near a three-week high, while US West Texas Intermediate went up to $96.48.
Both benchmarks are well above pre-war levels. Brent was trading at $72 before the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February.
Asian stocks were broadly subdued at the opening. While MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.12 per cent, hovering near the record high it touched on Monday, Nikkei fell 0.5 per cent.
The S&P 500 eked out modest gains on Monday and was on course for a nearly 10 per cent gain for April. US stock futures were 0.1 per cent higher in Asian hours.
Indian shares are set to open lower on Tuesday, with GIFT Nifty futures pointing to the benchmark Nifty 50 opening below Monday’s close of 24,092.70. Both Nifty and Sensex snapped a three-session losing run on Monday, led by a rebound in technology stocks, but the broader momentum remained constrained by unresolved tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Elevated oil prices are a particular headwind for India, the world’s third-largest crude importer, heightening inflation risks, pressuring economic growth and widening the country’s import bill.
Foreign portfolio investors offloaded domestic stocks worth Rs 11.5bn ($122m) on Monday, extending their selling streak to a sixth straight session.
Vessel crossings showed signs of recovery over the weekend, according to the maritime intelligence firm Windward, but analysts warned increased movement was yet to translate into a surge in oil and gas flows.
Iran reportedly offered to end its blockade of the waterway without addressing its nuclear programme, passing the proposal to Washington through Pakistani mediators. But Mr Trump has made ending Iran’s atomic programme a condition for any deal.
Central banks are also in focus this week, with the Bank of Japan, the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, and the European Central Bank all due to announce policy decisions. All are expected to hold rates steady, but markets will be watching closely for signals about how policymakers plan to respond to the inflationary pressure from the war.
“The BOJ is likely to stay highly sensitive to market volatility,” Fred Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC, told Reuters. “Our base case remains one single 25 basis point hike this year in July, but a June rate rise becomes more likely if the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed after mid-May.”
Business
Oil prices climbs as no end to Iran war shows no signs of ending – SUCH TV
Oil prices extended their gains on Tuesday as efforts to end the US-Iran war appear stalled, with the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway still mainly shut, keeping energy supplies from the key Middle East producing region out of the reach of global buyers.
US President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal aimed at ending the war, a US official said on Monday.
Iranian sources disclosed on Monday that Tehran’s proposal avoided addressing its nuclear program until hostilities cease and Gulf shipping disputes are resolved.
Trump’s displeasure with the Iranian offer leaves the conflict deadlocked, with Iran shutting shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries supply equal to about 20% of global oil and gas consumption, and the US keeping in place its blockade of Iranian ports.
Brent crude futures for June climbed 45 cents, or 0.4%, to $108.68 a barrel, after gaining 2.8% in the previous session to its highest close since April 7. The contract is up for a seventh day.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for June rose 58 cents, or 0.6%, to $96.96, after gaining 2.1% in the previous session.
An earlier round of negotiations between the US and Iran collapsed last week following failed face-to-face talks.
“For oil traders, it’s not the rhetoric that matters any more, but the actual physical flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and right now, that flow remains constrained,” Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com, said in a note.
Razaqzada added that even if a resolution is reached, production outages and logistical challenges mean recovery could take months.
Ship-tracking data revealed significant disruptions in the region, with six Iranian oil tankers forced to turn back due to the US blockade.
However, a liquefied natural gas tanker managed by the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi National Oil Co did cross the Strait of Hormuz and appears to be near India, ship-tracking data showed on Monday.
Before the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, between 125 and 140 vessels transited the strait daily.
Business
General Motors is set to report earnings before the bell. Here’s what Wall Street expects
The General Motors global headquarters at Hudson’s Detroit in Detroit, Michigan, US, on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
Jeff Kowalsky | Bloomberg | Getty Images
DETROIT – General Motors is set to report its first-quarter earnings before the bell Tuesday.
Here’s what Wall Street is expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $2.62 adjusted
- Revenue: $43.68 billion
Those results would mark a roughly 1% decline in revenue compared with a year earlier and a 5.8% decrease in adjusted earnings per share.
GM’s 2025 first-quarter results included $44.02 billion in revenue, net income attributable to stockholders of $2.78 billion, and adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $3.49 billion.
Aside from earnings and any changes to the automaker’s 2026 guidance, investors will be monitoring effects from the Iran war, tariff impacts and additional charges related to the automaker’s pullback in all-electric vehicles.
After announcing $7.6 billion in EV write-downs last year, the automaker said it expected additional charges but at a lower level than in 2025.
GM’s 2026 earnings guidance is better than its expectations and results from last year. It includes net income attributable to stockholders of between $10.3 billion and $11.7 billion; adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $13 billion to $15 billion; and EPS of between $11 and $13 for the year.
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