Stocks posted a marginal gain on Sunday for the fourth straight session as some investors bought shares amid cautious trading.
Market insiders said securities regulator's positive move on margin accounts, lucrative price levels coupled with year-end effect helped the market edge up for four straight days.
An analyst, however, said although the market kept gaining, most of the investors followed cautious stance amid growing political clashes surrounding national elections.
DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), settled at 5,281, advancing 16.45 points or 0.31 per cent over the previous day.
DSEX added more than 63 points in the past four consecutive trading sessions.
The two other indices finished higher. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, advanced 8.64 points to finish at 1,850 and the DSES (Shariah) index gained 4.49 points to settle at 1,213.
Turnover, another important indicator of the market, remained low as the total turnover dipped to Tk 3.53 billion, which was 24 per cent lower than the previous day's turnover of Tk 4.63 billion.
According to International Leasing Securities, the active presence of the bargain hunters in the final hour, particularly on telecom, bank and power sector issues helped the index close in green.
The stockbroker noted that the shaky investors opted to book quick-gain on textile, life insurance and cement sector stocks.
Total turnover fell 24 per cent over the last session as some of the investors adopted 'wait-and-see' stance about the recent political state of affairs ahead of national election, said the stockbroker.
A total number of 102,291 trades were executed in the day's trading session with trading volume of 89.28 million shares and mutual fund units.
The market cap of DSE increased to Tk 3,819 billion which was Tk 3,809 billion in the previous day.
"The day's rise was led by positive movement across the major sectors," commented IDLC Securities.
Food & allied posted the highest gain of 1.13 per cent, followed by telecommunication with 0.85 per cent, power 0.44 per cent, banking 0.44 per cent, engineering 0.43 per cent.
The financial institutions sector also gained 0.11 per cent while pharmaceuticals remained flat.
The losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 343 issues traded, 184 closed lower, 118 ended higher and 41 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Khulna Power Company topped the day's turnover chart with shares worth Tk 205 million changing hands, closely followed by United Power, IFAD Autos, Paramount Textile and Sonargoan Textile.
Quasem Industries was the day's best performer, posting a gain of 9.56 per cent while EBL First Mutual Fund was the day's worst loser, shedding 7.69 per cent.
The port city bourse CSE edged higher with the CSE All Share Price Index - CASPI - gaining 59 points to settle at 16,198 while the Selective Categories Index - CSCX -advancing 36 points to finish at 9,799.
Here too, the losers beat the gainers as 110 issues closed lower, 95 ended higher and 36 remained unchanged.
The port city bourse traded 7.43 million shares and mutual fund units worth nearly Tk 607 million in turnover.
babulfexpress@gmail.com