Stocks edge marginally higher

Stocks edged marginally higher Wednesday amid volatile trading throughout the session with turnover declined slightly as investors traded cautiously. The prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) --- DSEX-- ended at 4,594.33 points, gaining 7.42 points or 0.16 per cent amid modest see-saw throughout the session. However, other two indices closed into red. The DS30, comprising blue chips lost 7.27 points or 0.43 per cent to close at 1,674.79 points. The DSE Index (DSES) went down by 1.95 points or 0.19 per cent to close at 1,019.89 points. Turnover value on the DSE came down to Tk 5.37 billion, registering 14.21 per cent decline over the previous day’s 25-session high value of Tk 6.26 billion.Out of 297 issues traded, 140 advanced, 131 declined and 26 issues closed unchanged on the DSE floor. The total market capitalization on DSE stood at Tk 2,937.10 billion against Tk 2,941.74 billion in the previous session. Lafarge Surma Cement became the top turnover leader with shares worth Tk 775.31 million changing hands followed by GP, Heidelberg Cement, Padma Oil and Olympic Industries. AB Bank was the day’s highest gainer; posting a rise of 9.60 per cent while Northern Insurance was the day’s worst losers, slumping by 9.17 per cent. The port city bourse --- the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed marginally higher with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX gained 15.39 points to close at 8,888.06 points. Losers beat gainers 101 to 96, with 24 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 8.03 million shares and mutual fund units, turnover value of Tk 383.04 million.