Stocks extended the gaining streak for the third straight session on Sunday as bargain hunters continued to show their buying interest on sector specific large-cap issues.
DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, went up by 14.31 points or 0.31 per cent to settle at 4,528.
The core index added more than 120 points in the past three straight sessions.
Market analysts said lucrative price level of selective large-cap stocks attracted bargain hunters, taking the market in the green zone further.
Price of five large-cap stocks - British American Tobacco Bangladesh Company, Renata, Olympic Industries, Marico and Delta Life Insurance- surged to help the index nudge higher, brokers said.
The five companies added more than 16 points in DSEX while BATBC alone contributed 9.70 points, according to data of amarstock.com, a stock market data analyst.
A merchant banker said investors went for buying of shares following a number of government initiatives to stabilise the ailing capital market.
The market stabilising moves came following 12 months of drastic fall in the share prices that caused the DSEX to dip to a 56-month low on January 14.
The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, also gained 2.43 points to finish at 1,545. However, the DSE Shariah Index saw a fractional loss of 0.26 point to close at 1,035.
Turnover, another important indicator of the market, stood at Tk 4.74 billion, which was 7.78 per cent lower than the previous day's transaction of Tk 5.14 billion.
EBL Securities said despite the market witnessed volatility in early trading, active participation from institutional investors from the mid-session pushed the market to remain afloat in positive territory. British American Tobacco Bangladesh, one of the large-cap issues gained 3.85 per cent which influenced the market positively, said the EBL Securities.
Food & allied sector booked the highest gain of 3.59 per cent, followed by engineering with 0.46 per cent, pharmaceuticals 0.37 per cent and banking 0.18 per cent. On the other hand, non-bank financial institutions witnessed the highest loss of 1.88 per cent, followed by telecommunication with 1.67 per cent and power 0.35 per cent.
Losers, however, took a slight lead over the gainer, as out of 356 issues traded, 158 closed lower, 150 ended higher and 48 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
A total number of 145,396 trades were executed in the day's trading session with trading volume of 173.56 million securities.
The market capitalisation of the DSE also rose to Tk 3,454 billion on Sunday, from Tk 3,450 billion in the previous session.
LafargeHolcim kept its dominance in the turnover list with shares worth Tk 352 million changing hands, followed by SS Steel, ADN Telecom, Square Pharma and Khulna Power.
Global Heavy Chemicals was the day's best performer, posting a gain of 9.91 per cent while Vanguard AML BD Finance Mutual Fund One was the day's worst loser, shedding 7.01 per cent.
The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange, also posted a modest gain with its CSE All Share Price Index - CASPI -advancing 48 points to settle at 13,792 and the Selective Categories Index - CSCX -gaining 28 points to finish at 8,365. The gainers beat the losers as 115 issues closed higher, 106 ended lower and 25 remained unchanged.
The port city's bourse traded 9.11 million shares and mutual fund units worth Tk 160 million in turnover.
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