Stocks end lower with choppy trading

Stocks ended marginally lower Thursday amid volatile trading with turnover falling further as most of the investors remained watchful. After witnessing volatility throughout the trading session, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), came down below the 4,800-mark again and settle the week at 4,781.36, shedding 19.26 points or 0.40 per cent. The two other indices also ended lower. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, dropped 11.82 points or 0.65 per cent to 1,815.99. The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) lost 9.25 points or 0.79 per cent to end at 1,149.73. DSE turnover stood at Tk3.61 billion, which was 9.30 per cent lower than the previous session’s Tk3.98 billion. The losers took a modest lead over the gainers as out of issues traded 315 issues traded, 161 closed lower, 113 higher and 41 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor. Lafarge Surma Cement dominated the day’s turnover chart with shares of Tk180 million changing hands followed by Beximco Pharma, GP, Trust Bank and Saif Powertec. Sunlife Insurance was the day’s best performer, posting a rise of 9.93 per cent while Beach Hatchery was the day’s worst loser, plunging by 5.55 per cent. The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) closed lower with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX – losing 43 points to end at 8,913.20. Losers beat gainers 131 to 75, with 27 issues remaining unchanged on the port city bourse that traded 10 million shares and mutual fund units with a value of Tk309 million.

--Shuvo--