PSX Investor Base Surges 47.3% to Nearly 682,000 in First 10 Months of 2026

Pakistan Stock Exchange added 218,894 net investors from January to October, with young people accounting for nearly 55% of new individual accounts opened during October.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) investor base grew by 47.3% during the first 10 months of 2026, reaching 681,965 investors by the end of October, according to figures released by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

The exchange added 218,894 net investors between January and October, compared with 463,071 at the beginning of the year.

October also recorded strong participation, with 26,843 new accounts opened. These included 26,801 individual accounts and 42 corporate accounts. The net addition to the investor base during the month stood at 25,747.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX) registered 1,077 new accounts in October, taking its total investor base to 61,915.

Young Investors Lead New Account Openings

Young people represented the largest share of new individual accounts at PSX during October.

Investors aged 18 to 30 opened 14,634 accounts, accounting for 54.6% of the monthly individual total. The 31-to-45 age group added another 9,290 accounts, representing 34.7%.

Combined, these two age groups accounted for 23,924 new accounts, or 89.3% of all individual accounts opened during the month.

The gender breakdown showed that men opened 22,878 accounts, representing 85.4% of the individual total. Women accounted for 3,923 accounts, or 14.6%.

Punjab and Sindh Account for Most New Investors

Punjab recorded the highest number of new accounts in October, with 14,891 openings. Sindh followed with 7,643.

Together, the two provinces contributed 22,534 accounts, representing 83.9% of all accounts opened during the month.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 1,894 new accounts, while Islamabad added 1,419. Balochistan accounted for 370 openings, followed by Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 340 and Gilgit-Baltistan with 150. Investors based abroad opened another 136 accounts.

SECP Targets Wider Stock Market Participation

SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said the regulator was focused on simplifying investment access and protecting investors’ rights.

He said greater transparency and effective supervision were important for building investor confidence and encouraging wider participation in capital markets.

The commission is also conducting a nationwide investor awareness campaign to support its target of increasing Pakistan’s stock-market investor base to 2.5 million.

Market Performance Supports Investor Interest

The expansion in stock market participation follows a 43.5% increase in the benchmark KSE-100 Index during FY2025-26.

The SECP also approved 14 initial public offerings (IPOs) during the same fiscal year, providing additional opportunities for companies to raise capital through the equity market.

The latest figures indicate growing participation in Pakistan’s capital markets, particularly among younger investors. Continued growth will depend on investor awareness, market transparency and confidence in the regulatory framework.