Raast will provide necessary back-end infrastructure to payments services providers and should deliver the following objectives: significantly reduced transaction costs; full interoperability between counterparties; improve security; an enhanced user...

As per SBP data, Pakistan’s current account balance was again a surplus in November, of US$447mn in November 2020, which is the fifth consecutive monthly surplus. This leads to a C/A surplus of US$1.64bn in 5MFY21. Note that overall imports in Novemb...

The Pakistan market is coming from a low base, trades at an unusually large valuation discount, is seeing record corporate profits, and enters 2021 on a tailwind of strong local flows. And, in a more risk-on environment for EM assets, FII flows may f...

Although improvements to Pakistan’s fiscal and external accounts have largely continued despite Covid, the program has fallen off track and Pakistan must quickly return to its planned consolidation path to keep debt on a sustainable trajectory. On th...

National CPI decelerated to 8.3% yoy in November 2020 vs. 8.9% yoy in October (up 0.8% mom). Food inflation fell to 13.0% and 16.1% yoy in urban and rural centers, respectively, from 13.9% and 17.7% in the previous month. Interestingly, while prices...

The KSE-100 recovered strongly in November 2020 (up 3.0% mom) – CYTD gains reversed to +0.8%. The market turned positive following positive result of US elections, Covid-19 vaccine breakthroughs, good trends on the economic front alongside PM Khan’s...