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Pakistan Stock Market Hits Historic Peak at 169,000 Points – SUCH TV

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Pakistan Stock Market Hits Historic Peak at 169,000 Points – SUCH TV



The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday stormed ahead with its robust bull-run, trampling the 169,000-mark barrier for the first time in its history as economic and geopolitical developments continued to boost investors’ confidence.

At 9:42 am, PSX’s benchmark KSE-100 Index recorded a gain of 1,107.51 points, or 0.65 percent, to reach 169,597.13 points, a historic high.

In total, 407 companies traded their shares so far, of which 244 recorded gains, 143 lost value, and 20 remained unchanged.

Analysts opined that liquidity from mutual funds was driving up the index.

There was FOMO (fear of missing out) and disbelief of a correction, they added.

They maintained economic sentiment is positive after improving US ties also.

Mid-caps with growth triggers are beginning to rerate, they added.

On Thursday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with bullish trend, as the benchmark KSE-100 index gained 2,849.29 points, showing a positive change of 1.72 percent, closing at 168,489.63 points.

A total of 1,573,381,774 shares were traded during the day compared to 1,639,021,153 shares the previous day, whereas the share value stood at Rs 70.19 billion against Rs 69.66 billion on the last trading day.

The three top-trading companies were Bank of Punjab with 148,116,348 shares at Rs 32.78 per share, WorldCall Telecom with 133,874,930 shares at Rs 1.82 per share, and K-Electric Ltd. with 115,986,210 shares at Rs 7.22 per share.

Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited witnessed a maximum increase of Rs 699.33 per share, closing at Rs 31,964.33, followed by Supernet Technologies Limited which rose by Rs 62.08 to close at Rs 1,556.41.

On the other hand, PIA Holding Company LimitedB recorded a maximum decrease of Rs 573.97 per share to close at Rs 25,026.03, followed by Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited which declined by Rs 111.26 to close at Rs 9,898.70.



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Donald Trump targets Fed chief Jerome Powell again, threatens to fire him if he is ‘not leaving on time’ – The Times of India

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Donald Trump targets Fed chief Jerome Powell again, threatens to fire him if he is ‘not leaving on time’ – The Times of India


US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his attack on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, saying he would fire him if he continues in the role beyond the end of his mandate.Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in mid-May, and Trump has repeatedly criticised him for not cutting interest rates more aggressively, AFP reported.

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Trump Taps ‘MAGA Loyalist’ Kevin Warsh As Fed Chair To Replace ‘Crooked’ Jerome Powell | Details

“I’ll have to fire him,” Trump told Fox Business, if Powell “is not leaving on time.”The president added: “I’ve wanted to fire him.”The remarks come as the Trump administration steps up pressure on the independent central bank, including initiating a Department of Justice probe into Powell over alleged renovation cost overruns and seeking to remove Fed governor Lisa Cook.Asked if he would drop the DOJ investigation, Trump said: “I’m not playing. I have to find out.”Trump has nominated former central banker Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell, but his appointment requires confirmation by the US Senate.Warsh is scheduled to appear before the Senate Banking Committee next Tuesday, though his confirmation faces resistance.Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the committee, has said he would hold up the nomination while the probe into Powell remains unresolved.As long as the nomination process is delayed, Powell can legally continue as Fed chair.While uncommon, it is possible for a Fed chair to remain on the board even after their term as chief expires.Powell first became Fed chair in 2018 during Trump’s earlier presidency and was reappointed in 2022 under then president Joe Biden.



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Morgan Stanley tops estimates as trading revenue exceeds expectations by nearly $1 billion

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Morgan Stanley tops estimates as trading revenue exceeds expectations by nearly  billion


Morgan Stanley on Wednesday posted results that topped analyst estimates as the firm’s trading operations generated almost $1 billion more in revenue than expected.

Here’s what the company reported:

  • Earnings: $3.43 a share vs. $3 LSEG estimate
  • Revenue: $20.58 billion vs. $19.72 billion estimate

The bank said profit jumped 29% to $5.57 billion, or $3.43 a share. Revenue rose 16% to $20.58 billion, fueled by gains in the firm’s trading, investment banking and wealth management businesses.

Equities trading revenue jumped 25% to a record $5.15 billion, or about $450 million above the StreetAccount estimate. The firm cited strong volumes across its global equities franchise, especially in its prime brokerage business catering to hedge funds and its derivatives unit.

Fixed income revenue rose 29% to $3.36 billion, or about $540 million more than expected, helped by commodities trading that benefited from volatility in energy markets in the period.

Morgan Stanley, led by CEO Ted Pick since 2024, appears to have capably navigated the tumult of the first quarter, which saw rolling corrections in software stocks and the upheaval caused by the Iran war. Of note, the bank edged out rival Goldman Sachs in the key arena of fixed income trading, where Goldman posted an unusually large miss of $910 million versus the StreetAccount estimate.

Morgan Stanley’s investment banking revenue surged 36% to $2.12 billion, essentially matching the StreetAccount estimate, on rising fees from completed mergers, as well as stock and bond underwriting.

Wealth management revenue climbed 16% to a record $8.52 billion as the firm cited rising asset values and fee-generating transactions.

The firm’s smallest division, its investment management business, saw revenue drop 4.2% to $1.54 billion, or about $110 million below expectations. Morgan Stanley cited lower carried interest on private funds for the drop in performance.

Analysts will want to know what Pick has to say on the business outlook for the rest of the year as geopolitical tensions remain high.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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Bank of America tops estimates as CEO Brian Moynihan says consumer banking is ‘healthy’

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Bank of America tops estimates as CEO Brian Moynihan says consumer banking is ‘healthy’


Bank of America, the nation’s second-largest lender, beat on the top and bottom lines during the first quarter, bolstered by equities sales and trading.

Here’s what the firm reported:

  • Earnings per share: $1.11 per share vs. $1.01 LSEG estimate
  • Revenue: $30.43 billion vs. $29.93 billion estimate

The bank said Wednesday that net income rose 17% to $8.6 billion, or $1.11 per share, Bank of America’s highest EPS in almost two decades.

Revenue rose 7.2% to $30.43 billion on rising net interest income, higher trading revenue, and fees from investment banking and asset management.

Tune in at 10:15 a.m. ET as Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan joins CNBC TV to discuss the bank’s earnings report. Watch in real time on CNBC+ or the CNBC Pro stream.

Equities trading contributed to the beat, as the geopolitical environment roiled stock markets. Revenue in that business jumped 30% to $2.83 billion, topping the StreetAccount estimate by roughly $350 million and helping drive the bank’s trading operations to its best quarter in 15 years.

Investment banking also beat estimates and was up 21% to $1.8 billion, compared with StreetAccount consensus of $1.73 billion.

Net interest income, the profitability metric for loan-making, increased by 9% to $15.9 billion and beat expectations of $15.67 billion as well, according to StreetAccount. That was due to higher loan and deposit balances, fixed-rate asset repricing and markets activity.

In a sign that the bank’s borrowers weren’t deteriorating, the firm posted a $1.3 billion provision for credit losses in the quarter, lower than the $1.5 billion provision in the year earlier period and about $190 million below the estimate.

“We remain watchful of evolving risks. However, we saw healthy client activity, including solid consumer spending and stable asset quality, indicating a resilient American economy,” Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said in the release.

Still, like rival Goldman Sachs, the bank’s fixed income revenue came in below expectations. That business generated about $3.5 billion in revenue, missing the StreetAccount estimate by about $330 million.

The net-charge-off ratio, showing what proportion of total loans were deemed unable to be collected, improved 6 basis points during the quarter to 0.48%. The firm’s consumer banking and global wealth divisions each gained more than 20% in net income.

Return on tangible common equity, a measure of profitability, was 16%, a more than 200 basis point improvement.

— CNBC’s Hugh Son and Laya Neelakandan contributed to this report.

Correction: Bank of America previously guided to net interest income growth of between 5% and 7% this year. A previous version of this article misstated the range. And the firm’s consumer banking and global wealth divisions each gained more than 20% in net income. A previous version misstated the growth metric.

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