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ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (APP): Advisor to the Finance Minister Khurram Shehzad on Monday said that Pakistan’s stock market surged to a historic peak, with the benchmark index touching 171,500 points in mid-December 2025, showing renewed investor confidence and signs of macroeconomic stability.
The rally marks one of the strongest performances among global equity markets. From January 2025 to mid-December, the market has delivered an estimated 48% return, while gains over the past two years stand at nearly 300%, placing Pakistan among the world’s top-performing stock markets during this period, he said in a video message on his ‘X’ handle.
The surge has been driven by macroeconomic stability, ongoing structural reforms, easing interest rates, and growing confidence among both local and international investors. Endorsements by global institutions and increased participation through local investment platforms have further strengthened market sentiment, he added.
A notable development, the advisor said, was the sharp rise in investor participation. Pakistan’s equity market now has about 450,000 investors, with roughly 120,000 new participants entering over the past 15 to 16 months.
He said most of the recent growth has come from retail investors, a trend widely seen as a positive signal for long-term market depth and stability.
Corporate earnings, Khurram said, were also showing improvement as from January to September, listed companies recorded a 14% increase in profitability compared with the same period last year.
In the July–September quarter alone, he said, profits rose 9% quarter-on-quarter, helped in part by lower interest rates that have reduced financing costs and supported business expansion.
The mutual fund industry, he said, was adding to the momentum as total assets under management had crossed Rs4 trillion, with equity exposure rising to 14%, up from about 7% a year ago.
Adding to the optimism, the advisor said, regulators and market participants expected up to 16 new initial public offerings (IPOs) within a year, a level not seen in decades.
The number of billion-dollar listed companies has climbed to around 18, from just three in 2022, highlighting the scale of recovery and expansion.
Together, he said, these developments pointed to a stock market buoyed by stability, broader participation, and improving fundamentals, signaling that Pakistan’s economy was steadily getting back on track.