The market opened marginally lower on Sunday as cautious investors opted for booking profits on sector-wise quick-gaining stocks.
Following the previous session’s downward trend, the market opened slightly higher and the key index of the major bourse rose about 18 points within the first 15 minutes of trading.
However, after 30 minutes of trading, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, went down by 24.18 points or 0.41 per cent to drop below 5800-mark to 5,788 within the first 30 minutes of trading when the report was filed at 10:30 am.
Two other indices saw negative trend till then with the DS30 index, comprising blue chips, lost 6.84 points to reach 2,171 and the Shariah Index (DSES) shed 6.50 points to stand 1,266 points till then.
Turnover, another important indicator of the market, stood at Tk 3.05 billion within the first 30 minutes of trading at 10:30 am.
Market operators said cautious investors opted for booking profit on stocks which saw a substantial gain in the past few days.
However, some investors remained hopeful about the market amid lower return from money market, easing virus worries coupled with the extension of margin loan cap implementation time for another six months, said a merchant banker.
Of the issues traded till then, 174 declined, 97 advanced and 56 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor till then.
Beximco was the most traded stock till then with shares worth Tk 350 million changing hands, closely followed by NRB Commercial Bank, Pioneer Insurance, Prime Bank, and Ring Shine Textile.
However, the port city bourse – the Chittagong Stock Exchange – (CSE) saw a positive trend till then with CSE All Share Price Index- CASPI-gaining 8.45 points to stand at 16,846, also at 10:30am.
Of the issues traded till then 57 declined, 43 advanced and 15 remained unchanged with Tk 70 million in turnover.
