Investment in local, global stocks gains momentum in Pakistan – Markets
Investment trends in Pakistan are changing rapidly, with growing interest among young people in the local as well as global stocks, reflecting rising awareness of financial planning and investment opportunities.
According to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the number of investor accounts in the country’s stock market increased by a record 48% during the last fiscal year.
Investor accounts rose to 583,052 at the end of FY2025-26 from 392,775 a year earlier, with around 190,300 new accounts opened during the year, the highest annual increase on record.
Young investors accounted for a significant share of this growth. People aged 18 to 30 opened 45% of the new accounts between January and June 2026, while those aged 31 to 45 accounted for another 41%, according to the regulator.
The equity market delivered a stellar year in FY2025-26, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 44% in rupee terms and 46% in US dollar terms.
Ibrahim Amin, a banking and financial sector expert, said awareness about investment in the local equity market had increased significantly, particularly among younger people, largely due to social media, digital marketing, and the introduction of mobile applications and digital platforms by brokerage houses.
He said improved regulatory facilitation and easier access to the equity market had also encouraged more young people to invest their savings in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
“People’s saving habits are gradually changing from keeping cash at home or relying solely on traditional savings to investing through formal financial institutions and markets. This reflects growing financial literacy and could also contribute to improving the country’s savings-to-GDP ratio,” he said.
There is also significant potential for the local equity market and global stocks to attract Pakistan’s growing freelance and digital workforce, as many freelancers or youngsters remain unaware of the relatively accessible investment and trading opportunities available to them, said Mr Amin, who is also Chairman of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA).
In 2025, the PSX was among the high-performing equity markets globally and continued to attract investment from both domestic and international institutional and individual investors.
Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange, said Pakistan is emerging as a significant market for young investors seeking access to a wider range of investment opportunities, including global stocks and cryptocurrencies.
She said the growing participation of young investors in the local equity market could encourage greater confidence in investing in high-return assets, including digital or tokenised versions of traditional stocks such as Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, which can be accessed through digital trading platforms.
“With a large and increasingly digital-savvy youth population and a freelance workforce of nearly three million, Pakistani investors have the potential to increase their participation in global financial markets, particularly in international equities,” she said.
Ms Chen said investors are increasingly likely to prefer platforms that offer access to multiple asset classes, including cryptocurrencies, tokenised stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), commodities and foreign exchange through a single account.
“Having access to different markets through one platform provides greater convenience, allowing investors to diversify their portfolios without having to switch between multiple platforms,” she added.
Pakistan authorities are working to improve the investment climate for both local and foreign investors, enabling various global companies to establish operations in the country. As investment options continue to expand, competition among local and international players is expected to intensify in the future. However, investors are likely to prefer opportunities that offer greater convenience, accessibility and choice.
