MNCs repatriate $1.68bn profit from Pakistan to headquarters in Jul-Jan FY26

The multinational companies (MNCs) operating in Pakistan dispatched $1.68 billion in profit and dividend to their headquarters abroad in the first seven months of FY2025-26, a figure 26% higher than $1.33 billion recorded in the same period of the last year.

In January 2026, the MNCs’ profit outflow from Pakistan stood at $118.9 million, 15.5% higher compared to January 2025 and 34% up compared to the previous month of December 2025, according to State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) data released on Thursday.

Foreign firms sent profit and dividend worth $102.39 million in January 2025 and $88.8 million in December 2025.

MNCs operating in power sector dispatched the highest amount of profit and dividend at $41.1 million in January 2026, followed by companies running in transport sector at $24.5 million in the month. Food companies repatriated $18.7 million and communication firms sent $14.6 million in the month under review.

Cumulatively in the first seven months of FY26; foreign companies working in power sector sent the single largest profit and dividend worth $400.2 million, followed by financial businesses at $371.3 million.

Companies operating in food sector sent $142.4 million and $132.3 million from communication sector in 7MFY26. Beverages, tobacco and cigarette, chemicals, petroleum refineries, oil and gas exploration, pharmaceutical & OTC products, electronic, transport equipment (automobiles), transport, and storage facilities recorded the repatriation of profit in range of $14 million to $91 million in the seven months.

Food, power, oil and gas exploration, financial business and transport were the top five sectors dispatchers profit and dividend in the range of $85.5 million to $263 million in the same seven month of the previous fiscal year (FY25).

The repatriation of profit and dividend has surged apparently in the backdrop of the increased availability of foreign exchange (FX) reserves in the country and announcement of profit and dividend by companies listed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) and others.

JS Global Capital, Country Head Sales, Syed Faran Rizvi recalled the then sharp decline in FX reserves had kept MNC dividends parked in Pakistan during FY23.

However, as reserves began to build up again, there was a massive surge in the overall total repatriation, according to Rizvi, rocketing from just $331 million in FY23 to over $2.2 billion in FY24 and steady at similar levels in FY25 and FY26.

“A huge driver of this jump was the food sector, which exploded from practically nothing ($0.7 million) in FY23 to a leading $306.1 million by FY25 and continued to remain among top repatriates in FY26.

“We also saw impressive growth in tobacco & cigarettes, which climbed rapidly to $130.5 million, while beverages and chemicals maintained strong, consistent upward trends over the three-year period (FY23 to FY25),” Rizvi said.