Islamabad, 02 May 2025: Standard Chartered held a Market Outlook event, “Navigating Market Trends & Investment Opportunities” in Islamabad. This was the first session in a series of market outlook events that the Bank hosts for its clients throughout the year. The event brought together the Bank’s Affluent clients, leading economists, and experts from its product partners to discuss the prevailing global and local economic landscape and share insights on the future of financial markets.
Saadya Riaz, Head, Wealth & Retail Banking, Standard Chartered Pakistan stated, “As global markets continue to evolve amidst geopolitical shifts, inflationary pressures, and changing interest rate cycles, our clients are increasingly looking for clarity and confidence in their investment decisions. Through our Market Outlook event, we aim to equip them with timely insights, global research, and local context — helping them navigate complexity and identify opportunities. At Standard Chartered we offer a holistic wealth advisory experience that combines international expertise with a deep understanding of the Pakistan market.”
The panel comprised Manpreet Gill, Chief Investment Officer, AMEE, Farooq Pasha, Country Economist, and Kailash Kumar, Executive Director Wealth Solutions, Deposits & Secured and Asif Ali Qureshi, CEO, UBL Fund Managers.
The discussion moderated by Murtaza Hasan, CFA, Head of Investment Advisory, Standard Chartered Pakistan, shed light on the macroeconomic outlook against the backdrop of global developments, wealth planning through efficient and diversified solutions and the need for protection solutions in client portfolios.
Manpreet Gill who joined the talk virtually, stated that the pause in US tariffs after a market rout suggests the US administration realises the limitations of an aggressive trade policy and that the US will eventually strike trade deals with major partners, helping stabilise the economy, risk assets and the US dollar.
Farooq Pasha commented, “We expect economic growth to pick up in the last two quarters of the current fiscal year (ending in June), driven by the combined effect of 1,000bps of monetary easing over the past months and rapidly declining inflation. High-frequency economic activity indicators are also supporting the thesis of a gradual domestic demand recovery. Furthermore, robust growth in worker remittances will likely have a positive impact on private consumption and domestic demand revival. In a challenging global economic backdrop, on-track IMF facilities (EFF and RSF) and robust worker remittances are likely to anchor Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic outlook in H2 and beyond – We maintain our economic growth forecast of 3% for FY25.”