Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) practice trading data shows that a significant proportion of new and aspiring investors prefer keeping their simulated stock portfolios concentrated in a single company, with bank stocks emerging as the most popular sector on the platform. According to data reported on October 14, 2026, around 40% of platform members prefer holding one stock, making single-stock portfolios the most common investment pattern recorded in the platform’s history. The findings offer insight into how participants approach stock selection while learning about the equity market through virtual trading. The data also highlights the sectors attracting the greatest interest, the individual companies most frequently included in portfolios, and the performance recorded by users experimenting with simulated investments.
The platform’s portfolio distribution indicates that investment preferences vary considerably among participants. Around 15% of members hold two stocks, while 11% maintain portfolios containing three stocks. Another 15% have invested virtually in four to five stocks, while 16% hold between six and 10 stocks. These figures suggest that participants follow different approaches when constructing their simulated portfolios, ranging from concentrating their holdings in a single company to spreading virtual investments across several stocks. Portfolio size can influence how investors experience market movements, as the performance of a concentrated portfolio depends heavily on the selected company, whereas holding multiple stocks can expose participants to a wider range of sectors and business conditions. The platform provides an environment in which users can explore these differences without committing actual money.
Commercial banks are the most widely represented sector among members who hold stocks in their practice portfolios, accounting for 38% of participants with stock holdings. Cement companies rank second, appearing in 20% of portfolios, followed by fertilizer companies at 19%. Oil and gas exploration companies account for 18%, while refineries represent 15%. The distribution places banking stocks at the top of sector preferences, ahead of several major industries listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The figures indicate that financial institutions attract considerable attention from users of the practice platform, although the data does not establish why participants select these companies or whether their simulated choices reflect their actual investment decisions. The presence of cement, fertilizer, exploration and refinery companies also shows that participants are exploring sectors linked to Pakistan’s broader industrial and economic activity.
At the individual stock level, Attock Refinery Limited (ATRL) is the most widely held company, appearing in 14% of members’ portfolios. 786 Investments Limited and Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) follow, each featuring in 13% of portfolios. Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) ranks next at 11%, while Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL) appears in 10% of portfolios. The rankings demonstrate that participants are selecting companies from several different industries rather than focusing exclusively on the banking sector. Although commercial banks lead the overall sector distribution, the popularity of Attock Refinery, Fauji Fertilizer Company and OGDC reflects interest in energy and fertilizer-related businesses as well. These figures measure how frequently the companies appear in simulated portfolios and should not be interpreted as a ranking of their financial performance or an indication of future stock returns.
The performance figures show that most practice portfolios have recorded either modest losses or limited gains. According to the reported data, 72% of portfolios are down by up to 10%, while another 7% have losses exceeding 10%. On the positive side, 20% of portfolios have recorded gains of up to 10%. Only 1% have returns ranging from 10% to 25%, and fewer than 1% have gains exceeding 25%. The distribution indicates that relatively few participants have achieved substantial positive returns in their simulated portfolios, while a much larger share has experienced losses. However, these results relate to the practice platform and do not establish how the participants would perform when investing real money. Simulated outcomes can help users observe the effects of market movements, but they do not fully reproduce the financial risks, trading behaviour and emotional pressures associated with actual investments.
Students account for the largest share of platform members, representing 51% of participants. Other employees and professionals make up 17%, while people who are not working, retired or included in other categories account for 16%. Business owners and self-employed individuals represent 7% of users, and finance, banking and accounting professionals account for 6%. The composition suggests that the platform attracts a substantial student audience, alongside working professionals and participants from other backgrounds. Access to simulated trading can give students and aspiring investors an opportunity to become familiar with company listings, price movements and portfolio management before entering the market with their own funds. For users with limited experience, the platform can also provide a way to observe how different stocks respond to changing market conditions.
Geographically, Karachi accounts for 25% of platform members, followed by Lahore at 19% and Islamabad/Rawalpindi at 15%. Together, the three urban centres represent 59% of the platform’s membership, indicating that participation is concentrated in Pakistan’s major metropolitan areas. The figures provide a snapshot of where users are based, although they do not establish the overall distribution of individual investors across the country. Participation from these cities may reflect the platform’s reach among students, professionals and people interested in financial markets, but additional data would be required to assess adoption in smaller cities and rural areas.
The PSX practice trading platform allows users to simulate stock market investments with virtual money while using real end-of-day stock prices. This arrangement gives participants an opportunity to test portfolio choices, follow listed companies and observe the potential effects of market movements without directly risking their savings. The latest data highlights several patterns among users, including the popularity of single-stock portfolios, the leading position of commercial banks among sectors and the concentration of membership among students and residents of major cities. The reported performance figures also demonstrate that simulated trading can involve losses as well as gains. As more users explore the platform, its data can provide a useful view of how participants learn about Pakistan’s equity market, select listed companies and develop their initial understanding of stock market investing.
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