Stocks end lower for third day amid thin trading

Stocks went down for the third running sessions today (Sunday) with turnover dipping below Tk 2.0-billion-mark again as investors remained reluctant to make fresh investments ahead of year closing. The market opened with a negative note and the downward trend continued till the market closure amid marginal volatility. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE went down by 22.22 points or 0.46 per cent to close at 4,801.34 points. The two other indices also closed in red. The DS30, comprising blue chips lost 7.40 points or 0.41 per cent to close at 1,779.47 points. The DSE Shariah Index dropped 0.78 points or 0.06 per cent to close at 1,137.90 points. Turnover came down below Tk 2.00 billion-mark once again after 9-session and amounted to Tk 1.56 billion, registering a decline of 18.32 per cent over the previous session’s value of Tk 1.91 billion. The losers took a lead over the gainers as out of 305 issues traded, 190 declined, 82 advanced and 33 remained unchanged on the DSE floor. Lafarge Surma Cement was the most traded stock with shares worth Tk 86.81 million changing hands followed by MJL BD, Square Pharma, Summit Alliance Port and DESCO. First Bangladesh Fixed Income Fund was the day’s highest gainer, posting a rise of 5.88 per cent while Shympur Sugar Mills was the day’s worst loser, plunging 8.16 per cent. The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed in the red with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX – lost 73.92 points to close at 8,945.37 points. Losers beat gainers 165 to 42, with 31 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 4.10 million shares and mutual fund units, turnover value of Tk 126.49 million.