KARACHI – National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on Wednesday achieved a major breakthrough by crossing the USD 1-billion market capitalization milestone, officially placing it among the country’s large-cap listed companies.
The state-owned lender recorded an exceptional 338% return so far in calendar year 2024, that reflected strong investor confidence and a major turnaround in its financial performance.
According to the market experts, the surge is because of the robust earnings growth, improved asset quality and confidence in the bank’s long-term strategic direction.
NBP also boasted an industry-leading Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 28% well above the regulatory requirement, and reinforced its ability to deliver stronger and more sustainable shareholder payouts in the years ahead.
The strong capital buffer positions the bank favorably to support future growth ambitions and cushion against any macroeconomic shocks.
Despite its rapid gains, the bank maintained its trade at a marked discount to peers with a Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio of just 0.7x as compared to the banking industry average of 1.26x —currently the most attractive valuation among the top five banks in Pakistan as per the market data.
