Business
PSX sheds 1,382 points amid heightened global tensions | The Express Tribune
Trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) slumped sharply on Wednesday as caution gripped investors amid escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly between the United States and Iran, and fears of a potential US strike on Tehran that have rattled markets and lifted oil prices.
The benchmark KSE-100 index fell 1,381.69 points, or 0.75% to close at 182,569.82, after swinging between an intraday high of 184,726.60 and a low of 182,369.87. Profit booking after recent gains, coupled with persistent selling, kept market sentiment subdued throughout the session.
Analysts believe the cautious mood reflected investors locking in gains and shying away from fresh exposure as regional uncertainty deepened, keeping the local bourse under pressure for most of the day.
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• KMI-30: Pullers & Draggers pic.twitter.com/CCrZgffXPU— PSX (@pakstockexgltd) January 14, 2026
KTrade equities trader Ahmed Sheraz observed that PSX closed the session under pressure, with the benchmark KSE-100 index settling at 182,569 points, down 1,381 points or 0.75% on a day-on-day basis.
Market sentiment remained cautious throughout the session, primarily due to escalating geopolitical tensions between Iran and the US. Uncertainty surrounding a potential strike kept investors on the sidelines, while regional Asian markets also remained under pressure, with PSX following the broader trend.
Read: Exports dip 20% despite high inflows
Total volumes clocked in at 444 million shares. Sector-wise, selling was broad-based across banks, cements, fertilisers, technology, power, and pharma stocks. On a scrip-wise basis, notable pressure was observed in United Bank, MCB Bank, Fauji Fertiliser, Lucky Cement, Hub Power, Habib Bank, Pakistan Telecommunication, National Bank, and Systems Limited, he added.
Oil and gas stocks were the sole exception, supported by expectations of higher global oil prices, which helped Oil and Gas Development Company and Pakistan Petroleum to close in positive territory.
Looking ahead, the market is expected to remain range-bound and volatile in the near term until greater clarity emerges on the geopolitical front. From a longer-term perspective, Sheraz anticipated the overall market outlook to remain intact and advised investors to remain cautious while gradually accumulating quality blue-chip stocks on dips.
Overall trading volume remained nearly flat at 1.034 billion, compared with Tuesday’s 1.037 billion. The value of traded shares stood at Rs65.9 billion.
Shares of 483 companies were traded. Of these, 90 rose higher, 352 fell, and 41 remained unchanged. K-Electric was the volume leader with trading in 56.3 million shares, losing Rs0.02 to close at Rs6.33.
Netflix is likely to amend its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets, making an all-cash bid, CNBC’s David Faber reported on Wednesday.
In December, Netflix reached a deal to purchase WBD’s streaming platform HBO Max and the Warner Bros. film studio in a transaction comprised of cash and stock. The deal is currently valued at $27.75 per WBD share. This would put the deal’s equity value at $72 billion, with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion.
Bloomberg first reported this week that Netflix was considering adjusting its offer to be all-cash.
An amended offer would allow WBD shareholders to vote to approve the offer on a faster timeline, Faber reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Under the current deal, shareholders are expected to vote on the deal in the spring or early summer, Faber reported. Deals comprised of stock typically mean more financials and accounting need to be issued as part of seeking approval, which requires more time and expense, Faber added.
If Netflix were to make its offer all-cash the shareholder vote could move up to as early as late February or early March, Faber reported.
The change would come as Paramount Skydance has turned up the heat on its hostile push to acquire all of Warner Bros. Discovery’s business.
Earlier this week Paramount sued Warner Bros. Discovery and CEO David Zaslav seeking more information about why the company’s board continues to reject its $30-per-share offer in favor of Netflix.
Paramount has repeatedly argued its deal is superior in value, given the estimated value of Warner Bros. Discovery’s TV networks. It has also amended its bid to solidify the backing of Oracle co-founder and billionaire Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison.
Business
Infosys Q3 results: Net profit slips 2.2% to Rs 6,654 crore; revenue climbs 8.9% to Rs 45,479 crore – The Times of India
IT services major Infosys on Wednesday reported a 2.2 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 6,654 crore for the October–December quarter of FY26, even as revenue from operations rose nearly 9 per cent year-on-year.The Bengaluru-headquartered company had posted a net profit attributable to owners of the company of Rs 6,806 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, PTI reported.Revenue from operations increased 8.89 per cent to Rs 45,479 crore in Q3 FY26, compared with Rs 41,764 crore in the same period of the previous financial year.On a sequential basis, profit declined 9.6 per cent from the September quarter (Q2 FY26), while revenue grew 2.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter.Commenting on the performance, Infosys CEO and managing director Salil Parekh said the company delivered a strong third-quarter showing, driven by demand for enterprise AI solutions under Infosys Topaz.“Clients increasingly view Infosys as their AI partner with demonstrated expertise, innovation capabilities and strong delivery credentials. This has helped them unlock business potential and enhance value realisation,” Parekh said, adding that the company’s focus on re-skilling and empowering its workforce remains central to its AI-led growth strategy.Shares of Infosys ended marginally higher at Rs 1,599.05 on the BSE, up 0.07 per cent from the previous close. The results were announced after market hours.
New Delhi: India’s GDP will likely expand 7.5-7.8 per cent in the current fiscal (FY26), driven by festive demand and robust services activity, a report said on Wednesday. The report from Deloitte India, however, noted that the growth could moderate to 6.6–6.9 per cent in FY27 because of a high base and lingering global uncertainties.
The business consultancy noted that real GDP grew 8 per cent in the first half of 2025–26 (April–September), underscoring the economy’s resilience amid trade disruptions, policy shifts in advanced economies and volatile capital flows.
“India’s resilience is no accident. It stems from sustained pro-growth policies,” Deloitte India, Economist, Rumki Majumdar said. “With demand-side levers largely addressed, policy focus in 2026 will shift toward supply-side reforms, focusing on MSMEs, and developing tier-2 and tier-3 cities as new engines of growth,” Majumdar added.
Though external risks remain elevated, their full impact may not materialise in FY26, Majumdar said, adding that the India-US trade deal is likely to conclude by the end of this fiscal, which should revive foreign investment and stabilise the currency. The report credited the decisive policy moves in 2025 including tax exemptions, policy rate cuts and GST rationalisation, driving the growth by shoring up domestic demand and supporting the recovery.
Favourable inflation trends added buoyancy, while trade recalibration through multiple FTAs strengthened exports, the report said. The business consultancy highlighted a strategic pivot in trade policy, with India signing agreements with the UK, New Zealand and Oman, operationalising the EFTA deal and initiating negotiations with Israel.
“These partnerships unlock manufacturing opportunities and expand India’s services footprint beyond the US, while reinforcing investor confidence and paving the way for increased FDI, which remains critical for financing infrastructure and industrial expansion,” Majumdar said.
Another recent report from a fund house cited 8.2 per cent GDP growth in Q2FY26, a sharp rebound in industrial output and stable GST collections as the positives of domestic fundamentals. Softer crude prices, easing global rates and policy support through tax and GST cuts are expected to further support consumption and investment, the fund house predicted.
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