Stocks stayed downturn for the fourth straight session on Monday, with key index of the major bourse dipping below 6,200-mark, as risk-averse investors continued their selling binge on sector-wise large-cap issues.
Market insiders said small investors were cautious about fresh exposure to the market, while institutional investors followed ‘wait-and-see’ strategy ahead of year-closing, taking the core index below 6,200-mark.
The market started with a positive note, gaining around 26 points within first hour of trading, but rest of the session fell steadily, finally ended more than 7.0 points lower.
DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went down by 7.78 points or 0.12 per cent to settle at 6,197.
The two other indices also ended lower. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips fell 3.95 points or 0.17 per cent to close at 2,246.
The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) lost 3.67 points or 0.27 per cent to finish at 1,376.
Turnover, the crucial indicator of the market, rose 13 per cent to Tk 4.91 billion, compared to the previous day’s six months lowest turnover of Tk 4.32 billion.
Losers took a modest lead over the gainers as out of 333 issues traded, 170 closed lower, 116 closed higher and 47 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Grameenphone (GP) topped the day’s turnover chart with shares of nearly Tk 190 million changing hands, closely followed by Doreen Power, Baraka Power, Delta Brac Housing Finance and Square Pharmaceuticals.
ICB 2nd NRB Mutual Fund was the day’s best performer, posting a gain of 4.81 per cent while Shympur Sugar Mills was the day’s worst loser, plunging by 9.69 per cent.
The port city bourse – the Chittagong Stock Exchange – (CSE) also closed lower with CSE All Shares Price Index of – losing 13 points to finish at 19,178 points.
The Selective Categories Index of the port city bourse -- CSCX -- also lost 8.74 points to settle at 11,595 points.
Losers beat gainers as 121 issues closed lower, 98 closed higher and 30 remained unchanged on the CSE.
The port city bourse traded 8.65 million shares and mutual fund units worth Tk 228 million in turnover.
