Stocks close flat amid volatile trading

Stocks closed flat into the red on Monday with volatile trading throughout the session as investors followed ‘wait-and-see’ approach amid cautious trading. After previous session’s sharp decline, the market remained in positive and negative territory several times during the day’s trading session and landed into the red as session closed. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended at 4,497.12 points, shedding 1.22 points or 0.02 per cent from previous session. The DS30, comprising blue chips lost 7.15 points or 0.43 per cent to close at 1,637.88 points. However, the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) managed to close positive with gaining 0.64 points or 0.06 per cent to close at 1,004.74 points. Turnover value improved slightly, but stayed below Tk 4.0 billion mark. The total turnover stood at Tk 3.94 billion, registering an increase of 4.73 per cent over the previous session’s value of Tk 3.78 billion. The losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 286 issues traded, 159 declined, 96 advanced and 31 issues closed unchanged on the DSE floor. GP became the top turnover leader for the fifth running sessions with shares worth Tk 170.20 million changing hands followed by Matin Spinning, LankaBangla Finance, MBL First Mutual Fund and Square Pharma. National Housing Finance & Investments was the day’s highest gainer; posting a rise of 9.65 per cent while Sonarbangla Insurance was the day’s worst losers, slumping by 11.01 per cent. The port city bourse -- Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed marginally lower with its Selective Categories Index -- CSCX lost 16.20 points to stand at 8,653.60 points. Losers beat gainers 115 to 77, with 24 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 8.61 million shares and mutual fund units, turnover value of Tk 297.64 million.