Nepal’s Demat Accounts Cross 8.09 Million as Capital Market Participation Grows

The number of Demat accounts in Nepal has crossed 8.09 million, highlighting the growing participation of investors in the country’s capital market. According to data presented by Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) Chairman Dr. Gopal Prasad Bhatt at the Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, a total of 8,095,000 Demat accounts have been opened across the country. Similarly, more than 5.12 million Mero Share accounts are currently active, while the number of investors with trading accounts had surpassed 3.56 million by the end of the last fiscal year. Ordinary shares account for the largest portion of capital raised by organized institutions, representing 46.26% of the total. Institutional debentures account for 31.03%, followed by mutual funds at 14.81%. Specialized investment funds and preference shares account for 5.17% and 2.17%, respectively. SEBON has so far approved 20 specialized investment funds to mobilize capital worth Rs. 48.25 billion. During the last fiscal year, the board approved 52 institutions to mobilize Rs. 79.73 billion, while four institutions have received approval to mobilize Rs. 4.60 billion in the current fiscal year.