DSE key index crosses 4,700 point-mark

Stocks edged higher for the sixth running session on Thursday with the key index of the premier bourse crossing 4,700 points mark once again as investors went for buying spree. The market started with a sharp rise and DSEX up 40 points within first 30 minutes, but it slowed later as a section of investors booked short-term profit taking the advance of reduced trading cycle, eventually ended slightly higher. At the end of the session, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) crossed 4,700 points mark and ended at 4,702.45 points, gaining 8.23 points or 0.17 per cent. The DSE Index (DSES) gained 1.28 points or 0.12 per cent to close at 1,040.24 points. However, the DS30, comprising blue chips lost 5.06 points or 0.29 per cent to close at 1,720.19 points. Turnover value on DSE crossed Tk 6.50 billion-mark and amounted to Tk 6.73 billion which was 23.03 per cent higher from previous session’s value of Tk 5.47 billion. It was also two and a half month high turnover since Tk 6.95 billion on February 9, 2014. The losers took a lead over the gainers as out of 296 issues traded, 141 declined, 122 advanced and 33 issues closed unchanged on the DSE floor. GrameenPhone (GP) became the top turnover leader for the second running session with shares worth Tk 883.70 million changing hands followed by Olympic, Meghna Petroleum, Heidelberg Cement and Lafarge Surma Cement. ACI was the day’s highest gainer; posting a rise of 8.34 per cent while Usmania Glass was the day’s worst losers, slumping by 8.55 per cent. The port city bourse - Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed marginally higher with its Selective Categories Index --- CSCX gained 33.39 points to stand at 9,080.97 points. Losers beat gainers 102 to 93, with 25 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 10.90 million shares and mutual fund units, turnover value of Tk 409.23 million.