Business
Inflation climbs to 6.2% as core prices rise, signalling renewed pressure on economy | The Express Tribune
Non-food, non-energy inflation accelerates; border closure sends tomato prices up 127% and sugar 35%, while gas jumps
ISLAMABAD:
Inflation rose for the second consecutive month to 6.2% last month due to movement in prices across various groups, with a notable increase in non-food and non-energy goods’ rates, indicating a buildup of underlying inflationary pressure.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Monday that the key inflation benchmark increased by 6.2% on a year-on-year basis in October. The surge was in line with the government and market expectations. The government has attributed the increase to supply shocks caused by floods and the Pak-Afghan border closure. It was the second consecutive month when the price level increased in the country compared to a year ago. In urban areas, inflation increased by 6% on a year-on-year basis, while there was a surge of 6.6% in rural areas and towns. Inflation is again becoming a headline concern after prices started increasing for the past couple of months.
However, core inflation, which is calculated after excluding food and energy items to observe underlying pressures, also jumped. The core indicator suggests whether the rise is temporary or reflects longer trends.
The PBS reported that, measured by non-food and non-energy items, core inflation increased by 7.5% in urban areas compared to 7% of the previous month. Likewise, core inflation in rural areas also increased to 8.4% compared to 7.8% in the previous month. This suggests that the current trend may continue for a few months. Last month, the World Bank upwardly adjusted its inflation forecast for Pakistan to 7.2% for this fiscal year, which is slightly above the target.
The central bank had earlier said that inflation would temporarily increase this year because of floods and would start slowing during the later part of the second half of the fiscal year. The central bank had kept the interest rate unchanged at 11%, which is far higher than the headline inflation rate.
While addressing a press conference, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that interest rates were falling in the right direction but again hoped for a further cut in the rate.
Last month, the business community complained to the prime minister about high interest rates despite there being significant scope for reduction.
The government has kept Rs8.2 trillion for interest expense in the budget, but Secretary Finance, Imdad Ullah Bosal, said that actual spending would remain below the allocation due to better debt management.
The central bank is maintaining interest rates far above prevailing inflation levels, even as it projects that the economic growth target of 4.2% will again be missed this fiscal year.
The data showed that food price inflation accelerated to 4.5% in cities and 6.8% in rural areas, due to an increase in perishable and non-perishable food items.
According to the details, among non-perishable foods, which make up nearly 30% of the inflation basket, prices rose by 6.2% on average last month compared to a year earlier. In contrast, perishable goods recorded a 1.7% increase.
Due to border closures with Afghanistan, tomato prices increased 127%, followed by a 35% increase in sugar prices. The government has failed to deliver on its promise of ensuring the provision of sugar at less than Rs165 per kilogram. Wheat rates also surged by one-fourth, followed by a 16% increase in the rates of wheat flour. However, onion rates decreased by one-third, followed by a 29% reduction in chicken prices. There was also an administrative increase of 23% in the rates of gas last month compared to a year ago. But electricity charges were 16% lower than a year ago.
The Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Leghari, said on Monday that electricity prices were Rs10.3 per unit lower than a year ago due to renegotiations of energy agreements and reducing losses and inefficiencies.
Business
Hyundai Motor India’s Q3 profit rises 6.3% to Rs 1,234 crore
Mumbai: Hyundai Motor India Limited on Monday reported a solid performance in the third quarter (Q3) of FY26, with its consolidated net profit rising 6.3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,234.4 crore. The growth was supported by steady demand in the domestic market, strong export numbers and higher sales during the festive season, the company said in its stock exchange filing.
Revenue from operations during the quarter increased 8 percent compared to last year to Rs 17,973.5 crore. Operating performance also improved, with EBITDA rising 7.6 percent year-on-year to Rs 2,018.3 crore. The EBITDA margin stood at 11.2 percent, remaining broadly stable compared to the same period last financial year.
The company said domestic demand during the quarter benefited from GST 2.0-related advantages and festive-season momentum.
Wholesale volumes rose 5 per cent sequentially, supported by strong retail sales across key models.
Exports played an important role in overall growth, with export volumes jumping 21 per cent year-on-year in the December quarter.
Exports contributed around 25 per cent to Hyundai Motor India’s total sales during the period.
On the product front, the Creta once again emerged as a key growth driver. The SUV reclaimed its position as India’s best-selling SUV and achieved its highest-ever annual sales of more than 2 lakh units in calendar year 2025.
The newly launched Venue also saw healthy demand, with nearly 80,000 bookings so far. The company said first-time buyers accounted for 48 per cent of the total bookings for the model.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, Hyundai Motor India reported EBITDA of Rs 6,632.5 crore, marking a year-on-year growth of 3.3 per cent.
EBITDA margins expanded to 12.8 per cent despite higher costs related to capacity stabilisation and commodity prices. Net profit for the nine-month period rose to Rs 4,175.9 crore.
Commenting on the results, Managing Director and CEO Tarun Garg said the company delivered healthy growth in volumes, revenue and profitability during the quarter.
He added that an improved sales mix and disciplined cost management helped support margins on a year-to-date basis.
Garg also highlighted strong sales in January 2026 as a positive sign for the rest of the financial year.
Business
India-US trade deal: Hope and uncertainty as Trump cuts tariffs
Indian industry has welcomed lower tariffs, but experts caution against celebration until details are clearer.
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Business
MCX Silver Jumps 6% To Hit Upper Circuit After 46% Crash; Can India–US Deal Spark A Sustained Rally?
Last Updated:
Silver prices staged a sharp rebound on Tuesday after an intense phase of liquidation that followed the abrupt unwinding of a record-setting rally
Silver Rates Surge Today
Silver Rates Today: Silver prices staged a sharp rebound on Tuesday after an intense phase of liquidation that followed the abrupt unwinding of a record-setting rally. The earlier sell-off had pulled prices down more than 46% from their peak in just three sessions, highlighting the extreme volatility in the precious metals space. Gold prices also recovered alongside silver.
On the MCX, silver hit the 6% upper circuit at Rs 2,50,436 per kg on February 3, while MCX gold climbed 3% to Rs 1,48,310 per 10 grams.
A key macro catalyst emerged after US President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement with India. The deal lowers US tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50% in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and easing certain trade barriers. The development added a fresh geopolitical layer to already jittery commodity markets.
Gold mirrored silver’s recovery in global trade. Spot gold rose as much as 4.2% to move above $4,855 an ounce after sliding 4.8% in the previous session. That decline had extended Friday’s slump, the steepest in over a decade.
Earlier, on January 30, spot gold had tumbled nearly 10% in its sharpest single-day fall since 1983, dragging prices back below the $5,000-an-ounce mark that had been crossed only days before and erasing a sizable portion of the year’s gains.
The rebound extended beyond gold and silver. Spot platinum advanced 3% to $2,183.64 an ounce after touching a record $2,918.80 on January 26, while palladium rose 2.7% to $1,765.75, joining the broader recovery across precious metals.
What drove the rebound after the crash?
Domestic sentiment got a lift from the India–US trade deal, while investors also reassessed geopolitical risks, currency movements and the outlook for US monetary leadership. Strong buying from Chinese retail investors ahead of the Lunar New Year further supported demand, although China’s markets are set to shut for over a week from February 16, temporarily sidelining a key source of consumption.
Traders are also watching developments involving Iran after Trump signalled that talks on a potential new nuclear agreement could begin soon. Any diplomatic progress could reduce gold’s safe-haven appeal and cap gains.
The earlier sell-off in bullion was initially triggered by Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair, which strengthened the US dollar and pressured metals. The slide intensified after CME Group raised margin requirements for precious metals futures, forcing leveraged traders to unwind positions quickly. A stronger dollar combined with higher trading costs led to a sharp liquidity squeeze, accelerating the fall.
Will the rally sustain?
Hareesh V, Head of Commodity Research at Geojit Investments, said longer-term drivers such as geopolitical tensions, central bank buying and macro uncertainty remain supportive for precious metals.
He noted that the previous correction was magnified by extremely overbought conditions after gold and silver had surged to record highs, with silver rallying more than 60% in a month and gold over 20%. Profit-booking snowballed into panic selling as liquidity thinned and volatility spiked.
“The violent drop was more of a technical correction than a deterioration in core fundamentals,” he said, suggesting that the broader structural support for the metals remains intact.
February 03, 2026, 11:07 IST
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