The prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSEX) hit a record high on Sunday, the first session after Eid vacation, as buying binge added strength to the equity indices despite virus worries.
The market remained shut for five days from July 20 to 24 due to Eid-ul-Azha while trading time reduced to three hours in line with the banks during the government-enforced latest strict lockdown.
After crossing the 6,400-mark in the in the previous session, the market opened higher and persisted till the closure although saw some profit booking sell pressure during the session.
DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 19.17 points or 0.29 per cent to settle at 6,424, the highest since its inception in 2013.
The DSEX was introduced more than eight years back on January 27, 2013, designed by Standard and Poor's (S&P) based on the free-float methodology, replacing the then key index - DGEN. However, the all-time high DGEN was 8,918 recorded on December 5, 2010, when the market saw a bull run before a crash.
Market operators said stocks extended the winning streak for the six consecutive sessions which started before Eid holidays, as the optimistic investors remained active on sector specific stocks.
As the core index of the prime bourse climbed a record high every other day, more investors joined the rally with an expectation of better returns from the bullish market, they said.
The blue chip index DS30, a group of 30 prominent companies, also rose 14.10 points to settle at an all-time high at 2,336, highest since its inception on January 27, 2013. The DSE Shariah Index also advanced 6.08 points to close at 1,393.
Turnover, another important indicator of the market, also rose to Tk 13.55 billion, which was 7.20 per cent higher than the previous session's turnover of Tk 12.64 billion.
Stocks remained bullish amid growing investors' confidence driven by various market supportive reforms, lower returns from the money market coupled with earnings surprises of some listed firms despite the pandemic, said a merchant banker.
The stock market regulator took some market supportive measures in the past few months which boosted the investors' confidence and lured them to park fresh funds on stocks, he said.
He noted that resumption of mass vaccination roll-out and new stimulus packages for the low-income people helped investors kept their confidence in the market despite virus worries.
Investors' sentiment was positive towards the bourse, while a section of the investors opted for portfolio rebalancing strategy ahead of the June closing year-end declaration, commented EBL Securities.
According to International Leasing Securities, the last five sessions' upbeat vibe lured the investors for buoyancy, particularly in cement, food, banking and pharma sectors while cautious investors booked some gain on miscellaneous, textile, financial institution, telecom and general insurance sectors.
A total number of 214,552 trades were executed in the day's trading session with trading volume of 453.69 million securities.
The market capitalisation of the DSE stood at Tk 5,350 billion on Sunday, down from the previous session's all-time high of Tk 5,352 billion.
However, losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 375 issues traded, 237 declined, 116 advanced and 22 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Saif Powertec topped the turnover list with shares worth Tk 682 million changing hands, followed by British American Tobacco (Tk 510 million), Beximco (Tk 393 million), BD Finance (Tk 325 million) and Fu-Wang Ceramic (Tk 309 million).
Fu-Wang Ceramic was the day's best performer, posting a gain of 9.95 per cent while Familytex (BD) was the worst loser, losing 9.43 per cent after a 'abnormal' hike in the recent weeks.
The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange, also ended higher with its CSE All Share Price Index - CASPI -gaining 103 points to settle at 18,673 and the Selective Categories Index - CSCX -advancing 69 points to finish at 11,216.
Here too, the losers beat gainers, as 178 issues closed lower, 105 higher and 22 remained unchanged on the CSE trading floor.
The port city bourse traded 16.55 million shares and mutual fund units with turnover value of Tk 408 million.
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