Mercantile Bank leads DSE transaction chart

Ten top-traded companies accounted for more than 28 per cent transactions on the country's major bourse on Sunday. Mercantile Bank topped the list.
Market insiders said the Mercantile Bank grabbed the top position in the turnover list as the board of directors of the bank has recommended 17 per cent cash dividend and 5.0 per cent stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2017.
The final approval of the dividend will come during the annual general meeting scheduled to be held on April 30 at 11am in Dhaka, said an official disclosure on Sunday. The record date for entitlement of dividend is April 15.
The bank has also recorded more than 35 per cent year-on-year rise in its earnings per share in the year ended on December 2017.
The bank has reported consolidated EPS of Tk 3.89, consolidated NAV per share of Tk 22.74 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk 3.72 for the year ended on December 31, 2017 as against Tk 2.87 (restated), Tk 22.82 and Tk 5.36 respectively for the same period of the previous year.
According to statistics available with the DSE, about 5.08 million shares of Mercantile Bank were traded, generating a turnover of Tk 110 million, which was 4.90 per cent of the Dhaka bourse's total transactions.
The total turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 2.24 billion, which was 42 per cent lower than the previous day's turnover of Tk 3.88 billion.
Each share of the bank, which was listed on the Dhaka bourse in 2004, closed at Tk 21.40 on Sunday, losing 0.46 per cent over the previous session.
The bank's paid-up capital is Tk 7.76 billion and authorised capital is Tk 12 billion while the total number of securities is 766.11 million.
The sponsor-directors own 37.46 per cent stake in the bank, while the institutional investors 16.58 per cent, foreign 7.45 per cent and the general public 38.51 per cent as on February 28, 2108, the DSE data shows.
Apart from Mercantile Bank, the most other active shares in terms of value included Salvo Chemicals, Aamra Networks, Queen South Textile, Brac Bank, Unique Hotel, Grameenphone, United Power, Fortune Shoes and Monno Ceramic Industries.
Salvo Chemicals followed next with shares worth more than Tk 80 million changing hands. The company's share price closed at Tk 25.50, advancing 3.24 per cent over the previous session.
Aamra Networks was the third with shares worth nearly Tk 71 million changing hands. The company's share price advanced 1.80 per cent to close at Tk 96.30.
Queen South Textile clinched the fourth spot, with shares worth Tk 70 million changing hands. The recently listed company's share price closed at Tk 31.70, slumping by 9.43 per cent. It was also the day's worst loser.
BRAC Bank emerged fifth with shares worth Tk 65 million changing hands. The bank's share price closed at Tk 91.30, advancing 0.44 per cent over the previous day.
Unique Hotel saw the turnover of Tk 56 million. The company's share price fell 0.49 per cent to close at Tk 59.90.
The turnover of Grameenphone was Tk 49 million. Each share of the largest market cap listed company closed at Tk 468.10, losing 0.85 per cent.
United Power featured a turnover of Tk 48 million. The power generation company's share price advanced 0.13 per cent to close at Tk 156.70.

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