Stocks open week slightly down

Stock markets on Sunday opened the week with a downtrend after a single-day break as risk-averse investors went on late hours selling binge on sector-wise issues.

The prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), DSEX, went down by 18.46 points or 0.37 per cent to settle at 4,923.66. Among other indices, DSE-30 index, comprising blue chips, lost 6.83 points to finish at 1,718.80 and the DSE Shariah Index fell 3.73 points to close at 1,116.74 points.

Turnover, a crucial indicator of the market, fell to 7.86 billion taka, which was 15 per cent lower than the previous day’s turnover of 9.28 billion taka.

Losers took a modest lead over the gainers as out of 356 issues traded, 164 ended lower, 110 closed higher while 82 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.

A total number of 161,992 trades were executed in the day’s trading session with a trading volume of 307.61 million shares and mutual fund units.

Beximco Pharma continued to dominate the turnover chart, followed by Beximco, Northern Insurance, Associated Oxygen and Walton Hi-Tech Industries.

Associated Oxygen was the best performer for the second straight sessions while Global Insurance was the worst loser.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange also backed into the red with its All Shares Price Index (CASPI)—losing 46 points to close at 14,141 while the Selective Categories Index – CSCX shedding 27 points to close at 8,509 points.

Of the issues traded, 116 declined, 87 advanced and 15 remained unchanged on the CSE.

The port city bourse traded 14.15 million shares and mutual fund units with a turnover value of 424 million taka.