ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed a record 174,000 points on Monday, Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad said, marking a strong start to the business week. 

According to the data available on the PSX’s official website, the KSE-100 benchmark reported 174,411.72 points during the intraday trading on Monday morning. 

“Another milestone for Pakistan’s equity market,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X. “The KSE-100 Index has crossed 174,400 points, marking yet another record high.”

Pointing out the stock market’s achievements this year, Schehzad said the PSX has delivered 50 percent plus returns in US dollar terms to investors since January this year, “making it one of the best markets in Asia.”

He noted that investors’ participation in the PSX is rising fast, adding that the equity investor base has increased by over 120,000 to cross the 450,000 figure in the last 18 months, marking a 37 percent increase. 

“These record levels reflect growing investor confidence, supported by continued macro stability, key reforms, and improving prospects for more sustainable, higher future growth,” he said. 

Pakistan’s stocks have surged in recent years, marking a strong performance this year as Islamabad moves to consolidate its financial recovery after years of economic turbulence, which saw it on the verge of a sovereign default in June 2023. 

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have surged past the $21 billion mark, as per the central bank’s latest data. 

In recent years, the South Asian country has also implemented tough structural reforms under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs, aimed at reducing fiscal deficits and restoring investor confidence.