Stocks posted modest gains last week that ended Thursday, the first week of the new fiscal year, as investors booked short-term profit in later part of the week.
The week featured four trading sessions instead of five as trading was suspended Tuesday due to Bank Holiday. Among them, the market saw steep gain in the first trading session while last three suffered marginal loss.
Getting sentimental push from withdrawal of proposed capital gain tax, key index of the prime bourse shot up by 78 points in first trading day, the biggest single-day gain in 7-month. But next three sessions saw marginal loss amid short-term profit booking, eventually ended marginally higher.
Week-on-week, DSEX, the prime index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) went up by 26.78 points or 0.61 per cent to close at 4,436.21 points.
The DS30, comprising blue chips moved up by 5.29 points or 0.33 per cent to close at 1,621.86 points. However, the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) lost 3.31 points or 0.33 per cent to close at 1,002.92 points.
The port city bourse, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), also saw marginal gains last week with its Selective Categories Index - CSCX-gained 61.87 points or 0.74 per cent to close the week at 8,463.24 points.
The week's total turnover amounted to Tk 12.87 billion, registering a decline of 10.42 per cent over the previous week's total value of Tk 14.37 billion as there was one less trading session last week.
The daily turnover for the week averaged Tk 3.22 billion which was 11.98 per cent rise against previous week's average of Tk 2.87 billion.
 "Finance Bill 2014 and National Budget 2014-15 were duly passed last week, leaving a bundle of opportunities for capital market and specially for investors," commented IDLC Investments, in its weekly market analysis.
Withdrawal of proposed capital gain tax and continuation of 10 per cent tax exemption by companies giving 30 per cent or more dividend influenced investors much favourably, said the merchant bank.
 "The week started with steep gain, but the later part of the week continuously faced hit from profit booking and portfolio re-balancing due to cashing out mania," said the merchant bank.
 "Investors' sector-wise preference stated changing and more specifically, they are focusing on newer segment of selective issues" said the merchant bank.
LankaBangla Securities in its weekly market analysis said, "Investors are still apathetic about the market. Those who had bought shares for tax purposes probably are selling now".
"Market next direction will be dependent on second quarter (April to June) earnings figures posted by companies. From the end of next week, figures will start coming," said the stock broker.
International Leasing Securities said that the investors stretched their cautious trading strategy later part of the week finding no reinvigorating factors in the market to participate confidently.
The losers took a modest lead over the gainers as out of 305 issues traded during the week, 140 advanced, 137 declined and 28 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
All the major sectors ended in green except telecommunication which lost 0.94 per cent. Food and allied sector posted the highest gain - 7.86 per cent last week - thanks to the heavy-weight BATBC which registered a staggering 9.9 per cent gain alone.
It was followed by the financial sectors - NBFIs and banks - which advanced 3.05 per cent and 1.16 per cent respectively. Fuel and power and pharmaceuticals also posted modest gain - 0.70 per cent and 0.62 per cent respectively.
Only one listed company - Sandhani Life Insurance -- made corporate declaration last week. The insurer declared 25.50 per cent stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. In 2012, the company declared 30 per cent stock dividend.
The market capitalisation of the DSE went up slightly by 0.57 per cent as it was Tk 2,894.54 billion on the opening day of the week and it stood at Tk 2,911.12 billion on closing session of the week.
Beximco Limited dominated the week's top turnover chart with shares worth Tk 999.39 million changing hands during the week followed by GP, Lafarge Surma Cement, Appollo Ispat and United Airways.
Fine Foods was the week's top gainer, posting a rise of 21.99 per cent while Meghna Life Insurance was the week's worst loser, slumping by 13.67 per cent.