Dhaka stocks extend gain for ninth session

---

FE Report
Dhaka stocks extended the gain for the ninth straight session Monday, pushing the benchmark index crossing 4600-mark for the first time as the investors betted on Grameenphone, banks and insurers stocks.
The benchmark DSE General Index (DGEN) closed at 4643.39 with a sharp gain of 75 points or 1.04 per cent -- its largest single-day rise in a week.
The broader DSE All Shares Price Index (DSI) increased 63.89 points or 1.69 per cent to 3837.65 while the DSE-20 blue chip index climbed 29.11 points or 1.09 per cent to 2688.00.
Grameenphone, accounting for 17 per cent market capitalization of the total turnover, rose 4.54 per cent to Tk 197.90, contributing to take the market new height.
The country's largest telecom company Grameenphone, which made debut on November 16, was qualified to get margin loan on the day as per securities rules.
Earlier, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) directed the lenders not to disburse loan against any newly listed issues for one month.
Rising stocks trounced the declining stocks out of 238 issues traded, 161 gained, 71 lost and six remained unchanged.
Total turnover was Tk 10.2 billion, down more than seven per cent over the previous session.
After losing previous day, the banking sector nudged 1.61 per cent higher as all the banks except Al-Arafah Islami Bank ended in the green.
The pharmaceutical sector rose 0.65 per cent, tannery 0.16 per cent and energy 0.39 per cent.
General insurers went up 1.59 per cent and life insurer 2.04 per cent, a day after the finance minister said the insurance bills would get passed this session beginning from Monday to bring the country's insurance sector under well regulation.
Beximco Ltd topped the turnover list with shares worth Tk 632.76 million changing hands.
Grameenphone, Prime Bank, AB Bank, Square Pharma, Lanka Bangla Finance, Titas Gas, ACI, Heidelberg Cement and Southeast Bank were the other leading turnover leaders.
The day's top gainers were Delta Brack Housing (DBH), United Leasing Company (ULC), Heidelberg Cement, Bank Asia, Hakkani Pulp and Paper, 5th ICB, Orion Infusion, National Tubes, Singer Bangladesh and Standard Ceramic.
Bangas, Prime Insurance, Aims First Mutual Fund, ICB AMCL Second, Purabi General Insurance, Aftab Automobiles, Sonargaon Textile, Continental Insurance and Rupali Bank were major losers.