New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) The Middle East conflict and elevated oil prices will likely lead to the Reserve Bank of India maintaining the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April 2026 MPC meeting, a report said on Thursday.The report from Bank of Baroda predicted that the economic landscape has reached the end of the rate cut cycle, and RBI will now remain on a prolonged pause. The central bank will likely maintain a neutral stance and remain vigilant about the evolving situation,…
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Washington, April 2 (IANS) Global markets fell, and oil prices rose after US President Donald Trump signalled the Iran conflict would continue for weeks, raising concerns about supply disruptions and prolonged economic fallout, according to American media reports.US stock futures declined after Trump’s address, with S&P 500 futures down about 0.8 per cent, Nasdaq futures losing around 1 per cent, and Dow futures falling roughly 350 points, reported US media, including The Wall Street Journ…
Islamabad, April 1 (IANS) Poverty has yet again increased in Pakistan with fresh statistics placing nearly half of the population below the poverty line, demonstrating a widening gap between official claims and lived realities, a report has stated. A recent assessment by the Social Policy and Development Centre, an independent research organisation, has revealed that poverty in Pakistan stands at 43.5 per cent, which implies that around 27 million people are living below poverty line, significan…
Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Domestic policy measures and relatively stronger corporate balance sheets provide some cushion to the credit profile of India Inc but the critical question is whether these domestic levers will be sufficient to keep credit quality on course if the global environment deteriorates further, a report showed on Wednesday.Amid the emerging geo-political environment, the credit ratio for the manufacturing and services sector in India improved to 2.06 times in the second half of F…
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) The recent surge in global oil prices is testing Pakistan’s fragile macroeconomic stabilisation and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) tolerance of Islamabad’s decision to cushion domestic fuel prices signals a shift in approach, a new report has said.The report from Dawn, however, cautioned that the government’s decision to shield the population from rising fuel costs is politically understandable but economically unsustainable.The West Asian conflict has i…
New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) The Middle East crisis poses a greater risk to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, among the South Asian countries, due to their high dependence on imported energy and limited reserve supplies, according to an S&P Global Ratings report.Since these countries are particularly vulnerable to rising oil prices and potential supply disruptions, a prolonged price and supply shock in global energy markets could hit their sovereign credit ratings, the report states.S&P …
New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Gold and silver prices witnessed sharp losses on Monday, tracking declines in global bullion markets amid fading hopes of a US Federal Reserve rate cut and rising inflation concerns.On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold contracts for June 5 delivery opened 0.27 per cent lower at Rs 1,46,850 per 10 grams, as against the previous close of Rs 1,47,255. The yellow metal declined sharply during the session, falling as much as Rs 3,043, or 2.06 per cent, to hit an intr…
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) How does it feel to sit steady while everything around you seems to be on fire? It is an unsettling image, but it aptly captures India’s position in today’s world.At a time when much of the globe is grappling with the cascading effects of a conflict-triggered energy crisis, India appears relatively stable. The ongoing tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran have sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Countries across continents are scrambling to respond to …
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) In a bid to curb speculative trading to cap decline in the Indian rupee, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered banks acting as authorised dealers to limit their end‑of‑day open positions in the onshore rupee to $100 million.The domestic currency had slid to fresh lows amid widening trade gaps tied to the US-Israel and Iran conflict.The central bank mandated that commercial banks must implement the daily cap by April 10, adding that the regulator may set diffe…
Washington, March 28 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan that could unlock about $1.2 billion in fresh funding, as the country pushes ahead with fiscal tightening, structural reforms, and measures to stabilise inflation and growth.The agreement follows discussions between an IMF team and Pakistani authorities on the third review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)….