Business Desk
The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) crossed the ‘psychological’ threshold of 5,600-mark on Monday after a month as the market ended higher for the third straight session.
DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 20.08 points or 0.35 per cent to settle at more than one month high at 5,604.
DSEX added more than 115 points in the three consecutive sessions.
Market operators said investors showed their buying interest in selective large-cap stocks, particularly in Grameenphone, Walton, Berger Paints and Beximco Pharma, keeping the market upbeat.
The market rally came on the back of positive macroeconomic indicators in the country like remittance, foreign reserve coupled with satisfactory dividend declarations, said a top broker.
The remittance increased 33.51 per cent year-on-year in the first eight months of this fiscal year, foreign exchange reserve surpassed the $44 billion mark and the capital base of the country’s banks improved marginally in 2020.
Two other indices also edged higher with the DSE 30 Index, comprising blue chips, advanced 11.95 points to finish at 2,168 and the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) rose 8.73 points to close at 1,265.
Turnover, a crucial indicator of the market, however, fell to Tk 7.21 billion, which was nearly 18 per cent lower than the previous day’s turnover of Tk8.76 billion.
Gainers took a modest lead over the losers, as out of 347 issues traded, 129 advanced, 107 declined 111 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
British American Tobacco Bangladesh topped the turnover chart for the second straight session with shares worth about Tk 661 million changing hands, followed by Sumit Power, LankaBangla Finance, LafargeHolcim and BD Finance.
Shinepukur Ceramic was the day’s top gainer, posting a gain of 8.44 per cent while Libra Infusion was the worst loser, losing 7.21 per cent.
A total number of 148,350 trades were executed in the day’s trading session with a trading volume of 181.74 million shares and mutual fund units.
The market-cap of DSE also rose to Tk 4,838 billion on Monday, up from Tk 4,809 billion in the previous session.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also kept gaining with the CSE All Share Price Index – CASPI -rising 61 points to settle at 16,262 and the Selective Categories Index – CSCX advancing 37 points to close at 9,808.
Of the issues traded, 92 declined, 77 advanced and 61 remained unchanged on the CSE. The port city’s bourse traded 12.26 million shares and mutual fund units with a turnover value of Tk 388 million.
