Pakistan Keeps Key Rate Steady as Israel-Iran Tensions Rise
Pakistan's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, opting for caution as inflation picked up last month and the Israel-Iran conflict added uncertainty to the economic outlook.
The State Bank of Pakistan held the target rate at 11%, the central bank said in a statement on Monday. A majority of the 40 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted the move.
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In an economic landscape clouded by uncertainty, new analyst coverage plays a pivotal role in helping investors make informed decisions. With the Federal Reserve (Fed) holding interest rates steady and reaffirming plans for two potential cuts later in 2025, markets remain on edge. The Fed's revised 2025 outlook—GDP growth slowing to 1.4% and inflation accelerating to 3%—underscores mounting stagflation concerns, driven in part by the economic fallout of President Trump's evolving tariff such a volatile environment, new analyst coverages provide more than just stock recommendations, they offer a lens into how companies might perform under shifting macro conditions. Initiation of coverage often brings updated models, fresh valuation frameworks, and unique insights into how tariffs, rising input costs, or weakening consumer sentiment could impact earnings. Four stocks recently gaining analyst attention are Sezzle Inc. SEZL, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation GLDD, OppFi Inc. OPFI and HNI Corporation HNI, likely drawing increased investor interest. When analysts at leading firms initiate coverage on a stock, they bring with them a network of institutional clients and comprehensive financial analysis. They are often experts in specific industries or sectors, leveraging their specialized knowledge to conduct in-depth research and analysis. Analysts provide investors with crucial insights into a company's financial performance, growth prospects, competitive position, and industry dynamics—information that can be challenging for individual investors to obtain on their analysts add value to companies by initiating coverage? Absolutely. Their role as intermediaries grants them access to a wealth of relevant data, which they refine into actionable insights. Many investors rely heavily on analysts' research, recognizing that a lack of information could lead to market selected for coverage are not chosen arbitrarily. New coverage generally reflects the analyst's confidence in the company's prospects. Sometimes, heightened investor interest in a particular stock prompts analysts to focus on it, aligning their efforts with market demand. Consequently, ratings for newly covered stocks often tend to be more favorable compared to those of stocks that are already under continuous a shift in the average broker recommendation holds more significance than an isolated recommendation change. When an analyst issues a recommendation for a company with minimal or no existing coverage, it often captures investors' attention. This, in turn, can attract portfolio managers to take positions in the stock as additional information surfaces. Analyst coverage can significantly impact stock performance by triggering various market reactions. The announcement of new coverage can cause immediate fluctuations in stock prices. 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The 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimate has increased to $3.26 from $3.24 over the past seven days, depicting analysts' optimism over the company's prospects. The estimated figure for 2025 indicates 77.2% year-over-year growth. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock: Based in Houston, TX, this company provides dredging services in the United States. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Lakes Dredge & Dock shares have gained 29.7% in the past three months, outperforming the industry's 21.4% growth. The 2025 EPS estimate has increased to 96 cents from 69 cents over the past 60 days. The estimated figure for 2025 indicates 14.3% year-over-year growth. Again, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock carries an impressive VGM Score of Headquartered in Chicago, IL, this tech-driven digital finance platform offers a range of financial products and services to banks across the United States. OppFi currently sports a Zacks Rank # shares have gained 28.8% in the past three months, outperforming the industry's 1.5% decline. The 2025 EPS estimate has increased to $1.23 from $1.07 over the past 60 days. The estimated figure for 2025 indicates 29.5% year-over-year growth. Again, OppFi carries an impressive VGM Score of Headquartered in Muscatine, IA, this company manufactures, sells, and markets workplace furnishings and residential building products, primarily across the United States and Canada. HNI currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).HNI shares have gained 8.2% in the past three months, outperforming the industry's 0.7% decline. The 2025 EPS estimate has increased to $3.50 from $3.26 over the past 60 days. The estimated figure for 2025 indicates 14.4% year-over-year growth. Again, HNI carries an impressive VGM Score of can get the remaining stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your trading. Further, you can also create your strategies and test them first before taking the investment Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come here to sign up for a free trial of the Research Wizard Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies are available at: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) : Free Stock Analysis Report HNI Corporation (HNI) : Free Stock Analysis Report OppFi Inc. (OPFI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sezzle Inc. (SEZL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
