Stocks opened marginally lower on Thursday as the cautious investors were seen booking profit on sector-wise issues.
Following the previous day’s modest rise, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went down by 20.10 points or 0.28 per cent to stand at 7,023, after the first hour of trading at 11:00 am.
Two other DSE indices also saw a downward trend till then. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, fell 13.90 points to reach 2,584 and the Shariah Index (DSES) shed 5.50 points to stand at 1,515.
Turnover, another important indicator of the market, stood at Tk 2.41 billion within the first hour of trading as against Tk 2.54 billion in the first hour trading of the previous day.
Market analysts said the cautious investors continued to realise gains on sector specific large-cap stocks while some rebalanced their portfolios based on the latest earnings declarations.
Of the issues traded till then, 119 advanced, 155 declined, and 89 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Orion Pharma was the most traded stock till the filing of this report with shares worth Tk 331 million changing hands, closely followed by Beximco, Yeakin Polymer, BSC, and JMI Syringe & Medical Devices.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also opened lower with its All Shares Price Index (CASPI)—losing 73 points to stand at 20,560, while the Selective Categories Index – CSCX shed 44 points to reach 12,342 at 11:00 am.
Of the issues traded till then, 103 advanced, 47 declined, and 22 remained unchanged with Tk 39 million in turnover.