Tag: Monetary Policy Committee

  • State Bank cuts policy rate by 200 bps to 17.5%

    State Bank cuts policy rate by 200 bps to 17.5%

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has reduced the interest rate by 200 basis points, bringing it down to 17.5 per cent.

    The decision regarding reduction in policy rate was made after the inflation rate slowed in the country.

    The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) observed that the continued ease in inflationary pressures and the policy rate cuts will support the growth in Pakistan’s key sectors.

    Interestingly, this marks the third consecutive reduction in key policy rate, followed by a 150 bps cut in June and another 100 bps reduction in July.

    “At its meeting today, the MPC decided to cut the policy rate by 200bps to 17.5 per cent, effective from September 13, 2024,” the central bank said in a statement.

    “Both headline and core inflation fell sharply over the past two months. The pace of this disinflation has somewhat exceeded the MPC’s earlier expectations, mainly due to the delay in the implementation of planned increases in administered energy prices and favourable movement in global oil and food prices.”

    The MPC was of the view that the global macroeconomic environment has turned favourable amid the substantial softening of crude oil prices.

  • SBP gears up for monetary policy meeting amid rate cut speculations

    SBP gears up for monetary policy meeting amid rate cut speculations

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has scheduled a meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for Monday, March 18, 2024, to deliberate on the nation’s monetary policy, as announced by the central bank on Friday.

    The SBP intends to release the Monetary Policy Statement on the same day, providing insights into its decision-making process.

    Anticipation looms as a prominent brokerage house foresees a noteworthy chance of the SBP reducing the key policy rate by 100 basis points (bps).

    Currently, the key policy rate stands at a historic high of 22 per cent.

    Arif Habib Limited (AHL) outlined in its recent report the likelihood of the SBP initiating a 100-bps cut in the upcoming policy, potentially marking the commencement of an interest rate reversal cycle.

    Despite Pakistan witnessing a decrease in headline inflation to 23.1 per cent year-on-year in February, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), down from 28.3 per cent in January, there are calls for cautious action.

  • Monetary policy committee maintains status quo: SBP keeps policy rate at 22% to tackle elevated inflation

    Monetary policy committee maintains status quo: SBP keeps policy rate at 22% to tackle elevated inflation

    In a decision announced on Monday, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has opted to maintain the status quo, retaining the key policy rate of 22 per cent. 

    SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad highlighted the persistent elevation of inflation, disclosing a revised forecast for the fiscal year 2023–24 ranging from 23 per cent to 25 per cent.

    Market analysts, anticipating the decision, noted that the sustained high inflation rate was a contributing factor to the MPC’s decision to keep the key policy rate unchanged.

  • Pakistani rupee gains 6 paisa against US dollar, closes at Rs279.79

    Pakistani rupee gains 6 paisa against US dollar, closes at Rs279.79

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) continued its upward trend against the US dollar (USD) for the fifth consecutive session, appreciating by 0.02 per cent in the interbank market on Tuesday.

    Closing at Rs279.79, the local unit gained Re0.06 against the greenback.

    This follows Monday’s positive performance, where the rupee settled at 279.85 against the US dollar.

    A notable development on the economic front is the government’s active pursuit of a government-to-government (G2G) agreement with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for upfront foreign currency repatriation against future workers’ remittances. 

    Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE hold significant importance as countries contributing to foreign exchange through remittances from Pakistani workers. 

    Meanwhile, on the global stage, the US dollar experienced a slight easing, resulting in a 0.07 per cent increase in sterling, reaching $1.2720.

    Compared to major currencies, the Pakistani currency depreciated by 18.84 paisa against the Euro, closing at Rs305.03, as opposed to the previous value of Rs304.84.

    The British Pound strengthened, increasing by 1.02 rupees and closing at Rs356.34, compared to Rs355.33 from the previous day.

    The Swiss Franc exhibited gains of 54.58 paisa, concluding at Rs322.62, in contrast to the previous session’s value of Rs322.08.

    Against the Japanese Yen, PKR experienced a decrease of 0.98 paisa, closing at Rs1.8993 compared to Rs1.8895 a day ago.

    Conversely, the Chinese Yuan appreciated by 13.91 paisa, closing at Rs39.03 against the previous session’s Rs38.89.

  • Pakistani rupee shows marginal strength, gains 4.51 paisa against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee shows marginal strength, gains 4.51 paisa against US dollar

    In Monday’s interbank session, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) exhibited a slight appreciation of 4.51 paisa against the US dollar (USD), settling at PKR 279.85 per USD, compared to the previous closing of PKR 279.9 per USD. The intraday fluctuations showed a bid high of Rs280.1 and an ask low of Rs279.8.

    In the open market, exchange companies quoted the dollar at 279 for buying and 281 for selling. Notably, Pakistan received the second installment of SDR 528 million, equivalent to $705.6 million, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week. 

    The first review report under the standby arrangement emphasised the importance of market-determined exchange rates and the gradual development of the foreign exchange (FX) market.

    Against major currencies, the PKR experienced fluctuations:

    Euro: lost 37.07 paisa, closing at 304.84 compared to the previous value of 304.47.

    British Pound: increased by 39.06 paisa, closing at 355.33 compared to 354.94 from a day ago.

    Swiss Franc: Saw losses of 20.03 paisa, closing at 322.08 compared to 322.28 in the previous session.

    Japanese yen: lost 0.19 paisa, closing at 1.8895 versus 1.8876 a day ago.

    Chinese Yuan: Lost 2.38 paisa, closing at 38.89 against 38.91 from the previous session.

    Saudi Riyal: Closed at 74.62 with a loss of 1.2 paisa from its value of 74.63 a day ago.

  • Interbank closing: PKR gains 8 paisa to close at Rs279.9 versus USD

    Interbank closing: PKR gains 8 paisa to close at Rs279.9 versus USD

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) strengthened by 8.24 paisa against the US dollar (USD) in Friday’s interbank session, concluding the trade at PKR 279.9 per USD, surpassing the previous session’s closing rate.

    The local currency experienced an intraday high (bid) of Rs280.4 and a low (ask) of Rs279.9.

    In the open market, Exchange Companies quoted the dollar at Rs279.5 for buying and Rs281 for selling.

    Comparatively, against major currencies, the PKR gained 20.17 paisa against the Euro, closing at Rs304.47 in contrast to the previous value of Rs304.67. 

    The British Pound became more affordable by 30.06 paisa, concluding at Rs354.94 compared to Rs355.24 a day earlier. 

    The Swiss franc incurred losses of 1.38 rupees, settling at Rs322.28 compared to Rs323.66 from the previous session.

  • Pakistani rupee edges up against US dollar, marks 0.5% gain at closing

    Pakistani rupee edges up against US dollar, marks 0.5% gain at closing

    The Pakistani rupee exhibited a modest uptick of 0.1 per cent against the US dollar during the initial trading hours on Wednesday in the inter-bank market.

    At approximately 10:40 am, the local currency stabilised at Rs280.

    However, at the time of closing, the PKR experienced further appreciation against the US dollar, increasing by 0.05 per cent.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee concluded at Rs280.1, marking an increase of Re0.15 against the US dollar.

    In contrast, on the preceding day, the rupee experienced a dip, settling at Rs280.25 against the US dollar, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan.

    Internationally, the US dollar index maintained a one-month high on Wednesday, propelled by comments from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller that tempered expectations of a March rate cut. 

    Consequently, market projections for a March rate cut decreased from 76.9 per cent to 62.2 per cent, according to CME’s FedWatch Tool.

    Although the current market pricing aligns the Fed rate curve more reasonably, there are still a notable 157 basis points of rate cuts anticipated for 2024, suggesting potential for further adjustment.

    The dollar index, gauging the greenback against major currencies, concluded at 103.35, having reached 103.42 in the previous session—the highest level since December 13.

  • Pakistani rupee records 9th consecutive surge, gains Rs1.04 against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee records 9th consecutive surge, gains Rs1.04 against US dollar

    In the currency markets, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) maintained its winning streak for the 9th consecutive week, appreciating by 1.04 rupees against the US dollar.

    The local unit closed at PKR 280.36 per USD, showcasing resilience in the face of economic fluctuations. During today’s trading session, the PKR experienced fluctuations, reaching an intraday high bid of 279 and a low ask of 281.5.

    Exchange companies in the open market quoted the dollar at 279.15 for buying and 281.50 for selling, reflecting the ongoing strength of the PKR against the greenback.

    Notably, the PKR also demonstrated gains against major currencies, gaining 78.58 paisa against the Euro, closing at 307.85.

    The British Pound saw a decrease of 58.38 paisa, settling at 358.18, while the Swiss Franc experienced losses of 1.41 rupees, closing at 329.08.

    However, the Japanese yen posed a slight challenge, as the PKR lost 0.09 paisa, closing at 1.934 against 1.933 from the previous session.

    Overall, the PKR’s robust performance against the US dollar and several major currencies underscores the resilience and stability of Pakistan’s currency in the global financial landscape.

  • PKR gains 2 paisa to close at Rs281.11 against US dollar

    PKR gains 2 paisa to close at Rs281.11 against US dollar

    The Pakistani rupee sustained its upward trend against the US dollar for the seventh consecutive session, exhibiting a slight 0.01 per cent appreciation in the interbank market on Thursday. 

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Pakistani rupee concluded at Rs281.11, marking an increase of Rs0.02. 

    In the preceding session, the rupee recorded a marginal gain, settling at Rs281.13 against the US dollar.

    Comparatively, the PKR experienced a decline of Rs1.47 against the Euro, closing at Rs308.63 compared to the previous value of Rs307.16. 

    The British Pound strengthened by Rs1.79, concluding at Rs358.77 in contrast to the previous day’s Rs356.98. 

    The Swiss franc witnessed an increase of 63.72 paisa, closing at Rs330.49 versus Rs329.85 from the prior session.

    Against the Japanese yen, the PKR gained 0.63 paisa, concluding at Rs1.9333 compared to Rs1.9396 a day ago. 

    On a global scale, the US dollar remained stable as traders awaited US inflation data to assess the validity of rate-cut predictions. 

    The dollar, which had experienced a decline in the latter months of 2023 following signals from the Federal Reserve indicating an end to rate hikes, has since stabilised in early 2024 as traders factored in substantial cuts.

  • 6th straight gain: Pakistani rupee closes at Rs281.13 against dollar

    6th straight gain: Pakistani rupee closes at Rs281.13 against dollar

    In a continued trend, the Pakistani rupee exhibited resilience against the US dollar, marking its sixth consecutive session of appreciation with a marginal uptick of 0.03 per cent in the inter-bank market on Wednesday. 

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported a settlement at Rs281.13, reflecting an increase of Re0.09.

    This positive momentum follows Tuesday’s marginal gain when the rupee settled at Rs281.22 against the US dollar. 

    Against major currencies, the Pakistani rupee demonstrated notable strength, gaining 94.44 paisa against the Euro, closing at Rs307.16 compared to the previous value of Rs308.11.

    The British Pound observed a decrease of Rs1.38, closing at Rs356.98 in contrast to the previous day’s rate of Rs358.36. 

    Similarly, the Swiss franc experienced losses of Rs1.86, closing at Rs329.85 compared to Rs331.71 from the preceding session.