ISLAMABAD:A dvisor to Finance Minister, Khurram Schehzad said on Thursday that Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has surpassed 500,000 total investors for the first time in history, reaching 502,024 as of Feb-26.
“Since June 2022, over 227,000 new investors have entered the market – a massive 83% expansion in just over 3.5 years,” he wrote on his X.
He said that, in fact, a majority of investors joined during the last three and a half years compared to all prior years combined.
He added that the number of investors since inception up to June 2022 stood at 275,000, whereas 227,000 new investors were added from June 2022 to February 2026, reflecting a significant surge in participation during the recent period.
He said, January 2026 recorded the highest-ever single-month addition of investors, with 20,600 new entrants during the month adding February had already surpassed 18,000 new investors and the number was still rising, indicating sustained momentum in investor participation.
He said that most of the new entrants were young retail investors, describing it as a clear sign that confidence in macroeconomic stability and reform momentum was strengthening, particularly among the youth.
He added that capital markets deepen when trust builds, policy clarity improves and growth prospects gain credibility, noting that investor participation rises accordingly.
The advisor said the trend showed that savings were increasingly moving toward productive assets, calling it a key foundation for sustainable economic expansion, especially as more than 16 new IPOs were expected during the year.
He observed that crossing the half-million mark was not merely a milestone but a structural signal, reflecting that Pakistan’s financial ecosystem was deepening and that the reform dividend was beginning to manifest in investor behaviour.
Khurram added that the total number of investors across Pakistan’s public markets — including direct equity, commodities, mutual funds and other instruments — had now reached around 1.3 million. Summing up, he said the investor base was widening, confidence was building and the country’s growth story was steadily gaining believers.
