Business
PSX sets positive tone for December with strong 1,384-point gain | The Express Tribune
The Pakistan Stock Exchange welcomed both the first trading day of December and the first session of the new week with a confident rebound. Despite starting the morning under pressure, the market staged a swift recovery as investor sentiment steadied and trading activity strengthened, setting a positive tone for the weeks ahead.
Fresh buying flowed into key sectors right from the start. Automobile assemblers, cement producers, commercial banks, fertiliser companies, as well as oil & gas exploration and marketing firms all enjoyed renewed interest, lending depth and direction to the broader market.
Adding to the upbeat atmosphere, Pakistan’s core inflation for November 2025 recorded a mild cooling, slipping to 6.15% from 6.24% the previous month. This development was interpreted by investors as a welcome sign of stabilising price pressures as the year draws to a close.
In essence, the PSX set the tone for the new month and week, reflecting broad-based buying, steadier sentiment, and a supportive macro backdrop, laying the groundwork for a potentially constructive December.
The benchmark index eventually sailed through a wide intra-day range, touching a high of 168,246.23 and a low of 166,024.80, with a significant jump of 1,384.50 points, or 0.83%, before settling at 168,062.19.
KTrade Securities observed that the PSX continued its strong run, with the KSE-100 index gaining 1,384 points (+0.83%) to close at 168,062. The rally was broad-based, led by energy, power, cement, and technology sectors. Heavyweights such as Hub Power, Oil and Gas Development Company, Lucky Cement, Mari Energies, MCB Bank, and Pakistan Telecommunication Company drove most of the upside, keeping momentum intact.
Market activity remained strong, with All-Share volumes hitting 733 million. Looking ahead, sentiment remained upbeat, with the IMF board meeting on December 8 and the expected tranche release serving as key catalysts, while regional geopolitical changes may influence short-term flows, according to KTrade.
Overall trading volume jumped to 735.5 million shares from the previous session’s close of 592.7 million. The value of traded stocks stood at Rs46.1 billion. Shares of 484 companies were traded. Of these, 278 closed higher, 162 fell, and 44 remained unchanged. First National Equities led the chart with 70 million shares traded, rising Rs1.68 to close at Rs18.51.
NI Affairs Committee told even if conflict ends immediately it will take time for supply chains to return to normal.
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The president also said the US will continue to blockade Iran’s ports until peace talks progress.
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Business
High-Skilled Immigration: US tightens screws on high-skilled immigration: Denial rates surge across key visa categories – The Times of India
For Indian tech and medical professionals, researchers and even global achievers eyeing to work in the US, the path is becoming increasingly uncertain. New data shows that even the most elite immigration routes, once seen as relatively stable, are now facing sharply higher rejection rates, signalling a broader tightening of legal migration pathways.The US has significantly increased denial rates for high-skilled immigration categories in fiscal 2025 (year ending Sept 30, 2025), reflecting a policy-driven shift to restrict legal migration even for highly qualified professionals according to a new analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).“The latest data show that Trump administration officials intend to make it difficult for even the most highly skilled individuals from around the world to work in the US,” said Stuart Anderson, executive director of NFAP.A change of this magnitude indicates a crackdown on approvals, the analysis noted, pointing to a sharp rise in rejection rates despite no formal regulatory changes.
Green card routes for top talent see sharpest rise
The steepest increases are in employment-based green card categories used by highly accomplished professionals. The increase in denials occurred within a single year, despite no new regulations indicating a shift in adjudication standards.
- EB-1 (extraordinary ability): Denial rates nearly doubled from 25.6% in Q4 FY2024 to 46.6% in Q4 FY2025
- EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW): Denials rose from 38.8% in Q4 FY2024 to 64.3% in Q4 FY2025
Over a longer period, the trend is even sharper: NIW denial rates rose from 4.3% in FY2022 to 44.8% in FY2025, states the report.
Temporary work visas also tightening
Denial rates have also increased across key temporary work visa categories, particularly toward the end of FY2025:
- O-1 visas: Denial rates rose from 5.0% in Q4 FY2024 to 7.3% in Q4 FY2025 . These visas are meant for individuals with extraordinary ability in fields such as science, technology, arts, education, business or sports. It is typically used by top researchers, startup founders, artists and senior professionals with a strong record of achievement.
- L-1A visas: Denial rates increased from 8.0% in Q4 FY2024 to 9.6% in Q4 FY2025. These visas are used by multinational companies to transfer senior executives or managers from an overseas office to a US office. It is a key route for leadership mobility within global firms.
- L-1B visas: Denial rates rose from 8.1% in Q4 FY2024 to 9.2% in Q4 FY2025. These visas are also for intracompany transfers, but specifically for employees with specialised knowledge and are often used for technical experts and niche-skilled staff.
H-1B remains stable—but pressure persists
The H-1B visa, widely used by Indian IT professionals, has not seen a comparable increase in denial rates, the denial rates remained stable at around 2.0%–2.1% in FY2025. This is attributed to a 2020 legal settlement, which limits changes to adjudication standards without formal rulemaking.However, policy pressure continues through other measures. President Trump has signed an executive order mandating a $100,000 fee to petition for an H‑1B worker outside the US. Further, selection in the lottery for H-1B cap visas is linked to wages and there is a proposal to increase wages across all levels.
Backlogs and delays worsen the squeeze
For the Indian diaspora, these statistics are worrying. Between Q4 FY2024 and Q4 FY2025, backlogs rose across key immigration filings. Pending I-129 petitions—used by employers to sponsor non-immigrant workers such as H-1B, L-1 and O-1 visa holders — increased by more than 54,000. The backlog for I-140 petitions, which are employer-sponsored applications for employment-based green cards, rose by 58,400.At the final stage, delays also deepened: the backlog for I-485 applications—filed by individuals to adjust status to permanent residence (green card) within the US—continued to grow.
Bottom line
The data signals a clear shift: legal immigration pathways are narrowing over FY2025, particularly in the latter half of the fiscal year, driven by stricter adjudication rather than new laws.
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