Business
PSX sinks over 1,200 points amid profit-taking, IMF concerns | The Express Tribune
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed sharply lower on Monday as heavy profit-taking dragged the KSE-100 index down by 1,237.67 points, or 0.73%, to settle at 167,752.40.
The sell-off came amid investor caution following reports that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised concerns over discrepancies in trade data reported by Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), putting recent macroeconomic progress under scrutiny.
Analysts termed the phase as a temporary pause and expected a renewed investor confidence to reurn soon.
Read: PSX maintains record-breaking drive
Market experts attributed the drop to a combination of domestic and geopolitical factors. M. Waqas Ghani, Head of Equity Research at JS Global, said stocks came under pressure due to a widening trade deficit and IMF reservations on select policy items, though he expects sentiment to improve once the next IMF disbursement arrives.
Mohammed Awais Ashraf, Director Research at AKD Securities, noted investor caution over the reported trade data gaps but added that SBP data shows no cause for concern, reflecting the actual flow of dollars in and out of the country.
Trading details
Overall volumes decreased to 1.27 billion shares from 1.57 billion in the previous session, with a total stock value of Rs60.5 billion. Stocks of 487 companies were traded, of which 108 closed higher, 348 declined, and 31 remained unchanged. The Bank of Punjab led trading volumes with 131.4 million shares, rising Rs0.96 to Rs34.46.
Equity trader Ahmed Sheraz highlighted heightened volatility, driven by geopolitical tensions with India and domestic uncertainty due to Pakistan’s partial non-compliance with IMF targets. He added that the IMF has requested clarification on an $11 billion discrepancy in trade data reported by two government entities over the past two fiscal years, raising concerns over the credibility of official financial statistics.
Business
Ajit Jain: Warren Buffett’s trusted executive Ajit Jain buys apartment in Gurugram for Rs 85 crore – The Times of India
A 7,400 sq ft apartment at DLF The Camellias in Gurugram has been purchased by Berkshire Hathaway’s Ajit Jain. The vice-chairman overseeing insurance operations at Berkshire Hathaway, Ajit Jain, is regarded as one of Warren Buffett’s most trusted associates. The apartment has been bought for around Rs 85 crore, according to sources quoted in an ET report.Jain, who has spent most of his time living abroad, recently visited Delhi to complete the deal, the sources said. One person aware of the development said non-resident Indians account for more than 25% of DLF’s ultra-luxury housing portfolio, and Jain is among the most prominent buyers in this segment. The individual added that premium amenities offered at such developments are a major attraction for those who plan to spend only part of the year in India. Jain is widely considered one of the most influential Indian-origin business leaders in the United States.Property consultants noted that since the Covid period, ultra-high-net-worth individuals have increasingly favoured secure, gated condominium projects over independent bungalows, as such residences provide access to a wide range of on-site facilities.ET recently reported that an industrialist purchased four apartments at DLF’s new ultra-luxury project, The Dahlias, for close to Rs 380 crore, making it one of the country’s most expensive apartment transactions.In 2025, Gurugram saw the costliest property deal in the National Capital Region, overtaking Lutyens’ Delhi for the first time. Prices per square foot in the city have surpassed those in Mumbai and reached levels comparable with London and Dubai. Earlier, British entrepreneur Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia had acquired an 11,416 sq ft apartment in the same project for Rs 100 crore.Info-x Software Technology, through its director Rishi Parti, had also purchased a 16,000 sq ft penthouse for Rs 190 crore.In October 2023, ET reported the first Rs 100-crore transaction at the same residential complex on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road.
Business
Lowe’s earnings beat as sales jump more than 10% despite sluggish housing market
A Lowe’s store in Concord, California, US, on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Lowe’s topped Wall Street’s quarterly revenue and earnings expectations on Wednesday, as the retailer’s sales grew more than 10% year over year.
The home improvement company said it expects total sales for the full current fiscal year to range between $92 billion and $94 billion, which would be a roughly 7% to 9% increase over the prior year. It said it projects adjusted earnings per share to be between $12.25 and $12.75 for the full year. Lowe’s said it expects comparable sales, a metric that takes out one-time factors, to be approximately flat to up 2%.
In a news release, CEO Marvin Ellison said the company’s strategy is resonating with its do-it-yourself customers and home professionals, even as higher mortgage rates and slower real estate sales challenge its industry.
“While the housing macro remains pressured, we are focused on directing what is within our control, which includes our ongoing productivity initiatives,” he said. “We remain confident that we are well-positioned to take share regardless of the macro environment.”
Shares of Lowe’s fell in premarket trading as the company’s earnings per share projections for the year fell short of analysts’ consensus expectations of $12.95, according to LSEG.
Here’s what Lowe’s reported for the fiscal fourth quarter compared with Wall Street’s estimates, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $1.98 adjusted vs. $1.94 expected
- Revenue: $20.58 billion vs. $20.34 billion expected
Lowe’s net income for the three-month period that ended Jan. 30 dropped to $999 million, or $1.78 per share, from $1.13 billion, or $1.99 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding one-time factors, including expenses associated with recent acquisitions, Lowe’s reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.98.
Revenue rose from $18.55 billion in the year-ago period.
Comparable sales for the quarter climbed 1.3%, higher than the 0.2% that analysts were expecting, according to StreetAccount. The company said in a news release that growth was driven by its gains with home professionals, online sales and home services, along with a strong holiday season.
Its competitor, Home Depot, on Tuesday beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue expectations, but stuck by conservative full-year guidance. Its quarterly results reflected that home improvement demand remains tepid, as U.S. consumers continue to put off big projects because of high borrowing costs and housing prices as well as economic concerns.
Like Home Depot, Lowe’s has felt pinched by a tougher backdrop for the industry. Both have acquired companies that cater to contractors and other professionals, which tend to be a steadier source of business.
Last year, Lowe’s acquired Foundation Building Materials, a distributor of drywall, insulation and other interior building products for large residential and commercial professionals, for about $8.8 billion. It also bought Artisan Design Group, which provides design services and installation of flooring, cabinets and countertops for homebuilders and property managers, for about $1.33 billion.
Lowe’s has also made its own moves to reach customers who are delaying home purchases, such as launching a third-party marketplace to expand its mix of merchandise, tapping influencers to raise its visibility on social media and reaching out to young families by relaunching its kids’ program.
As of Tuesday’s close, Lowe’s shares are up nearly 16% year to date, surpassing the S&P 500’s roughly 1% gains during the same period. Its stock has risen about 15% over the past year, almost matching the S&P 500’s approximately 16% gains over that time.
Business
‘Civilisational shift’: TCS CEO K Krithivasan encourages AI adoption even if it ‘cannibalises revenue’ – The Times of India
IT giant TCS encourages the use of artificial intelligence by its employees even if it affects their revenue streams, said its CEO, explaining the advantages of the firm’s approach. He described the adoption of AI as a ‘civilisational shift’.Speaking at the annual NTLF event in Mumbai, Managing Director and Chief Executive K Krithivasan said, “”We encourage our associates to go out (to the customers and use AI), even if it means cannibalising our revenues,” adding that the younger staff are faster to use than their senior employees.TCS is ensuring that each of its more than six lakh employees becomes “AI fluent,” Chief Executive Officer K Krithivasan said, emphasising that the company is not “afraid” of artificial intelligence impacting jobs.As part of this push, the company has encouraged associates to actively explore the use of AI in client projects, he said. Krithivasan added that employees are showing strong interest in acquiring AI skills, noting that there has been no need to introduce special incentives to drive adoption.Senior employees often consume large amounts of information but may not always translate that knowledge into practical outcomes, K Krithivasan added, highlighting the need for a more hands-on approach to artificial intelligence.He stressed that AI adoption goes beyond merely issuing prompts on generative AI platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, noting that employees must actively build solutions using AI tools. “It is not about just giving a few prompts,” he said, adding that staffers need to “get their hands dirty.”Krithivasan described AI as a “civilizational shift,” calling it a form of democratised knowledge capable of addressing problems that have remained unsolved for decades.He observed that AI has increasingly become a board-level priority, with chief information officers being tasked to identify and deploy relevant solutions. While AI is expected to drive productivity gains, he said TCS remains equally focused on delivering tangible benefits to customers through the technology.Addressing concerns around AI governance, Krithivasan said the company is also exploring frameworks where AI systems can help regulate and monitor other AI applications through the use of multiple agents.
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