DSEX sheds 17.95 points

Stocks slipped in the red Sunday after previous session's flat movement as cash-hungry investors went for selling spree. Only four trading sessions are left ahead of Eid vacation.
The market started with a steep decline, but it slowed down somehow through the mid-session and DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSEX) ended at 4,374.19 points, shedding 17.95 points or 0.40 per cent.
The other two indices also ended in red. The DS30, comprising blue chips lost 11.73 points or 0.73 per cent to close at 1,591.20 points. The DSES declined 14.60 points or 1.46 per cent to close at 984.26 points.
Turnover at DSE remained sluggish and amounted to Tk 2.63 billion which was 4.1 per cent higher than that of the previous session's value of Tk 2.53 billion.
"With corporate disclosures and half-yearly earnings floating on board, investors prompted on shuffling their choice across scrips and sectors" commented IDLC Investments, in its regular market analysis.
Expectation mismatch dwindled scrip-level scenario, especially pharmaceuticals sector's heavy-weight Square Pharma secured worst position in top ten losers' list, said the merchant bank.
However, coupled with the news of increased interest rate spread and better half-yearly earning declarations in some banks impulse investors' positioning, said the merchant bank.
"As quarterly earnings started to come out, investors reacted positively at the end of trading session; especially on financial stocks," said LankaBangla Securities.
Banking sector rebounded strongly with 1.32 per cent return and sectoral trading volume 40.8 per cent up on Sunday.
"Investors are gauging banking stocks worth investing at this level and expectation of better return," said the stock broker.
Apart from quarterly declaration, monetary stance H2 remained the main trigger for the stock market, where experts are expecting a policy targeting the inflation and nominal exchange rate stabilization, the stock broker added.
International Leasing Securities, said: "Scepticism about the market movement before the Eid-ul-Fitr induced many investors to be reluctant towards taking any fresh positions".
"Investors indication towards cash out ahead of the Eid festival was apparent in the market," it said.
"Corporate declaration of the Square Pharmaceuticals disappointed the investor which is turn affected the market negatively," said the International Leasing.   
The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also ended lower with its Selective Categories Index - CSCX - lost 35.30 points to close at 8,291.68 points.
Gainers beat losers 88 to 85, with 21 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 6.51 million shares and mutual fund units, turnover value of Tk 221.48 million.