Stocks opened marginally higher on Thursday, the last trading day of the year 2021, as bargain hunters were showing buying interest on sector-wise issues.
Following the previous day’s modest correction, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went up by 16.92 points or 0.25 per cent to stand at 6,748, after the first hour of trading at 11:00 am.
Two other DSE indices also saw an upward trend till then. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, advanced 4.78 points to reach 2,527 points and the Shariah Index (DSES) rose 2.45 points to stand 1,429.
Market analysts said the bargain hunters opted for taking position on lucrative stocks riding on the hope for the New Year.
However, the risk-averse investors opted for booking profit on sector-wise stocks amid growing tension over the coronavirus new variant Omicron, they said.
Turnover, another important indicator of the market, stood at Tk 1.58 billion within the first hour of trading at 11:00 am.
Of the issues traded till then, 209 declined, 82 advanced, and 77 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation was the most traded stock till the filing of this report with shares worth Tk 201 million changing hands, closely followed by Delta Life Insurance, BSCCL, Peoples Insurance and Asia Insurance.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange opened marginally higher with its All Shares Price Index (CASPI)—gaining 29 points to stand at 19,650, while the Selective Categories Index – CSCX rose 17 points to reach 11,806, also at 11:00 am.
Of the issues traded till then, 67 advanced, 32 declined, and 29 remained unchanged with Tk 36 million in turnover.
