Privatisation of public transport sector
It has been reported that Pakistan Railways (PR) will soon be inviting the private sector to operate another 22 passengers trains not generating enough revenue to meet their variable costs…
US oil tanks barely one-third full beckon crude contango play
The US oil storage trade is back - and may be bigger than ever. Six years ago, the financial crisis led to a sudden surplus of oil and a collapse…
Beware the market maxim ‘the trend is your friend’
The old financial market maxim "the trend is your friend" has rarely been more appropriate than when applied to the recent falls in oil, government bond yields and the euro,…
Utilities may keep rising, but investors should tread carefully
Utilities stocks bested all other S&P sectors in 2014 and with cold winds blowing across much of the United States investors may be hoping for more of the same. The…
Outlook 2015
Pakistan's economy remains in the doldrums, as it is still faced with clinical and structural challenges. Economic data (Fiscal and Monetary) clearly indicates increased suffering and social unrest due to…
Gold price seen near tipping point for mine cuts, closures
The price of gold, down more than a third in three years, is approaching the tipping point where the mining industry would see a spike in the number of producers…
The IMF targets
The IMF has just released the report on the fourth and fifth review of the EFF with Pakistan. This review also contains projections of the economic outcome in 2014-15. As…
MPS: overt reluctance?
The State Bank of Pakistan's decision to cut policy rate by 50 basis points to 9.5 percent appears to be in line with what BR Research was expecting - a…
Silicon Valley takes benefits ‘arms race’ to healthcare
High salaries and free food aren't enough any more in Silicon Valley, where maturing companies are competing for talent with creative health care and "wellness" programs that use gadgets to…
Financial market storm brewing as 2014 winds down
After a year in which world markets have sailed effortlessly through wars, invasions and geopolitical ferment, a storm of their own making may well be brewing. Investors have mostly held…
