Stocks edged lower for the second running sessions Sunday, with turnover dipping below Tk 5.0 billion-mark once again, as investors booked profit ahead of Eid festival.
The trading and official activities on the bourses will remain closed from July 15 to July 20 on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr leaving seven trading sessions before Eid vacation.
The market opened with a downward trend, which sustained throughout the session. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went down by 36.58 points or 0.80 per cent to settle at 4,536.
The two other indices also closed marginally lower. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, moved down by 11.27 points or 0.63 per cent to close at 1,761.63. The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) shed 9.93 points or 0.88 per cent to end at 1,111.11.
Turnover, the most important indicator of the market, came down to Tk 4.68 billion, which was 7.21 per cent lower than the previous session's Tk 5.04 billion.
The investors' attention was mostly focused on pharma, engineering and power - the sectors that accounted for 20 per cent, 19 per cent and 12 per cent of the day's total turnover.
"Stocks have moved modestly lower amid mixed economic data," said LankaBangla Securities, a stockbroker, in an analysis.
"The pullback continued as investors went for profit booking on stocks which gave short rallies in previous week," said the stockbroker.
IDLC Investments, a merchant bank, said, "Last session's bearish vibe extended as tax incentive seekers continued withdrawing fund from the market".
"The capital market exhibited another sluggish session amid short-term profit booking," said International Leasing Securities, a stockbroker, in an analysis.
Selling of shares across issues from most of the major as well as several small sectors triggered the leading bourse of the country to witness mild correction, said the stockbroker.
"Price correction in bank, telecom and fuel-power sector mainly contributed in the notable fall in indices," said the stockbroker.
All large sectors closed lower except pharmaceuticals, which gained 0.28 per cent. The financial sector posted the highest loss of the session, NBFIs lost 1.51 per cent and banks went down by 1.30 per cent.
Cement retraced by 1.39 per cent. Telecommunication witnessed correction of 1.02 per cent. Power and food and allied also went down by 0.97 per cent and 0.28 per cent respectively.
Losers outpaced gainers as out of 312 issues traded, 194 declined, 84 advanced and 34 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Activities decreased in the major bourse where trade and volume were down by 8.48 per cent and 16.31 per cent respectively. A total number of 0.118 million trades were executed with trading volume of 123.93 million securities.
The market capitalisation on DSE stood at Tk 3,219.79 billion against Tk 3,239.49 billion in the previous trading session.
Lafarge Surma Cement was the day's top turnover leader with shares worth Tk 295.47 million changing hands followed by Olympic Accessories, Beximco, ACI and United Power.
Standard Ceramics was the day's best performer, posting a rise of 10 per cent while First Bangladesh Fixed Income Fund was the day's worst loser, plunging by 9.83 per cent.
The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed in the red with its Selective Categories Index - CSCX - lost 78.24 points to close at 8,498.42 points.
Losers beat gainers, 163 to 55, with 31 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 13.40 million shares and mutual fund units, with turnover of Tk 422 million.
babulfexpress@gmail.com
© 2026 - All Rights with The Financial Express
