Stocks bounced back in the final week of 2021, offering a ray of hope for the market into the New Year, with investors showing their buying interest in sector-specific issues.
The week featured five trading days as usual, with three sessions ending higher while two others showing modest corrections.
Week on week, DSEX, the prime index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), climbed 54.05 points or 0.81 per cent to settle at 6,756.
In 2021, the core index of the DSE posted an impressive 1,354 points or 25-per cent growth, although stocks of many low-performing companies saw unusual price hike during the year.
Bangladesh's capital market was one of the best-performing markets in Asia last year, EBL Securities said in its yearly review.
Amid high hopes for the New Year, the investors showed their buying appetite for sector-wise stocks in the last week of 2021, market analysts said.
Relaxation of margin-loan requirement, prospect of a settlement of disputes between two regulatory bodies and portfolio rebalancing by investors ahead of year-end lifted the market up, according to a stockbroker.
The stock-market regulator relaxed margin loans for buying shares that change their category on the bourses, which drove the investors to put their money in the market, according to the International Leasing Securities.
During this week, two other DSE indices also ended higher. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, rose 20.59 points to finish at 2,532 and the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) advanced 7.47 points to close at 1,431.
Market capitalisation of the DSE also rose 0.54 per cent to Tk 5,421 billion on Thursday, up from Tk 5,392 billion in the week before.
The week's total turnover stood at Tk 41.60 billion on the prime bourse which was Tk 38.15 billion in the week before.
The daily turnover averaged out at Tk 8.32 billion on the country's premier bourse, which was 9.07 per cent higher than the previous week's average of Tk 7.62 billion.
Of the major sectors, engineering sector saw the highest gain of 2.0 per cent, followed by banking (1.50 per cent), cement (1.30 per cent), textile (1.30 per cent), power (0.70 per cent) and telecoms (0.60 per cent).
Of the traded issues, 185 issues declined, 164 increased and 33 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Low-cap Sonali Paper & Board Mills topped the turnover list with shares worth Tk 3.40 billion changing hands, followed by Beximco (Tk 2.77 billion), Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (Tk 2.51 billion), Asia Insurance (Tk 2.0 billion), and ONE Bank (Tk 870 million).
The Sonali Paper's share price also soared abnormally by 250.81 per cent or Tk 684.70 per share during the year to close at Tk 957.70 on Thursday.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation was the top gainer of this week, posting a 45.55 per cent gain, while Savar Refractories was the worst loser, shedding 12.60 per cent.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also ended higher, with the CSE All Share Price Index (CASPI) rising 137 points to settle at 19,666 while it's Selective Categories Index (CSCX) gaining 79 points to close at 11,813.
Of the issues traded, 163 declined, 161 advanced, and 22 remained unchanged on the CSE trading floor.
The port city's bourse traded 92.99 million shares and mutual fund units with turnover value of Tk 2.65 billion.
