Stocks ended sharply lower on Sunday, after a single-day break, as cautious investors opted for booking profit on quick-gaining issues.
The market was on a positive note at opening but the rest of the session went down steadily amid sale pressure on major sector stocks.
Finally, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), slid 64.38 points or 0.92 per cent to close at 6,920, after gaining more than 32 points in the previous session.
Market analysts said the shaky investors were engaged in booking quick profits on large-cap stocks such as Beximco, Beximco Pharma, Power Grid, ONE Bank and BRAC Bank.
Besides, solutions regarding banks’ investment in the capital market remained unsettled after the meeting held at the finance ministry recently, also frustrated the investors, they said.
Two other indices also ended lower. The DSE 30 Index, comprising blue chips, plunged 28.10 points to finish at 2,604 and the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) shed 8.05 points to close at 1,467.
Turnover, a crucial indicator of the market, stood at Tk 11.48 billion, which was 10 per cent higher than the previous day’s tally of Tk 10.43 billion.
Losers took a strong lead over the gainers, as out of 376 issues traded, 242 declined, 99 advanced and 35 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
ONE Bank, which lost 9.83 per cent, was the most traded stock with shares worth Tk 884 million changing hands, followed by Beximco, Saif Powertec, Sonali Papers and Fortune Shoes.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also ended sharply lower the CSE All-Share Price Index – CASPI –shedding 196 points to settle at 20,265 and the Selective Categories Index – CSCX, losing 118 points to close at 12,176.
Of the issues traded, 199 declined, 84 advanced and 14 remained unchanged on the CSE.
The port city’s bourse traded 14.56 million shares and mutual fund units with a turnover value of Tk 430 million.
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