Stocks end flat with high turnover

Stocks ended flat on Tuesday with turnover improving further as late sale pressure wiped-out early gains. The market opened with an upbeat note but couldn’t sustain at the end of session. The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) went up 3.51 points or 0.07 per cent to settle at 4,779.66. However, the two other indices ended in the red. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, shed 0.71 points or 0.04 per cent to close at 1,812.88. The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) dropped 2.35 points or 0.20 per cent to end at 1,141.83. The total turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 4.49 billion, which was 7.92 per cent higher than the previous day’s Tk 4.16 billion. The losers took a modest lead over the gainers as out of 315 issues traded, 140 declined, 133 advanced and 42 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor. Beximco Pharma dominated the day’s turnover chart with shares of Tk 436 million changing hands followed by Mozaffar Hossain Spinning Mills, Brac Bank, Lafarge Surma Cement and Square Pharma. Alltex Industries was the day’s best performer, posting a rise of 9.88 per cent while Far Chemical Industries was the day’s worst loser, slumping by 5.80 per cent. The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), however, closed in the red with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX – losing 7.86 points to end at 8,905.07.
Losers beat gainers 106 to 97, with 36 issues remaining unchanged on the port city bourse that traded 10.92 million shares and mutual fund units with a value of Tk 340.40 million.

--babul/raihan