Four Pakistani banks rank in the top 10 best-performing lenders in Asia-Pacific for 2024, According to S&P Global Intelligence. Among the region’s best-performing bank companies, United Bank Classified second with a market value of $1.68 billion and a total stock Restore 159.7%. The data indicates that it trailed Indonesia’s PT Bank Artha Graha Internasional Tbk, which has a $270 million market value and produced 193.2% annual total returns.
Pakistani Banks Shine Globally
National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) came in 2nd with a return of 108.4%, while Bank Alfalah Ltd (107.1%) and Bank of Punjab (98.4%) were also in the top 10 banks in the region. Furthermore, Allied Bank Ltd (ABL) and Habib Metropolitan Bank Ltd (HMB) placed 14th and 15th positions, with returns of 94.5% and 93.2%.
Best stock performance UBL, NBP, Alfalah, BoP
The Impressive outcomes of Pakistani banks were attributed by S&P to the nation’s economic recovery in the second half of 2024, which was facilitated by a funding package from the IMF. Digital banking industry was Enhanced by this economic recovery, which came at the same time as Increasing prices and previous share price recoveries. Only Japan had more than one lender in the top 10 performers; Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines each had one bank in the remaining positions.
Asia-Pacific banks having a market valuation of more than $100 million as of December 31 were included in the statistics. Only six of the top 15 banks had market values more than $1 billion, indicating that small-cap banks dominated the list.
Indian lenders short fall
The report also pointed out that as the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) reached all-time highs in the last quarter of 2024, Pakistani banks turned into blue-chip equities.
In the meantime, bank stocks in China and India suffered from slower economic growth. With total returns ranging from 38% to 43.1%, seven Indian lenders including RBL Bank Ltd. and IndusInd Bank were Added among the top 15 banks with poor performance.
Slower economic momentum and muted lending expansion put pressure on Indian banks. For 2024 and 2025, The Reserve Bank of India estimates a 6.6% GDP growth rate, Examined to the rate of 8.2% growth in the Previous year.