Stock markets took a pause on Wednesday after recent sharp gains, as cautious investor booked marginal profit on sector-wise issues.
Market insiders said the stocks slipped into the red after four sessions as risk-averse investor sector-wise stocks while many of them followed cautious mood, taking turnover below Tk 5.0 billion-mark again.
The market was in a positive territory for a brief period, but rest of the session fell gradually, finally ended more than 6.0 points.
DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went down by 6.03 points or 0.09 per cent to settle at 6,200.68.
The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) also fell 2.13 points or 0.15 per cent to settle at 1,431.
However, the DS30 index, comprising blue chips, advanced 1.51 points or 0.06 per cent to finish at 2,304.
The market activities fell and the total turnover amounting to Tk 4.24 billion, which was nearly 25 per cent lower than the previous day’s turnover of Tk 4.24 billion.
The losers took a modest lead over the gainers as out of 333 issues traded, 171 closed lower, 111 higher and 51 issues remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
Square Pharmaceuticals topped the day’s turnover chart for the fifth day in a row with shares worth Tk 274 million changing hands, followed by Grameenphone, Beximco Pharmaceuticals, BBS Cables and Olympic Industries.
Alif Industries was the day’s best performer, posting a gain of 4.67 per cent while Aziz Pipes was the day’s worst loser, plunging by 3.11 per cent.
The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), also ended lower with CSE All Share Price Index–CAPSI–losing more than 32 points to finish at 19,125.
The Selective Categories Index—CSCX–also lost 19 points to settle at 11,549.
Losers beat gainers as 91 issues closed lower, 61 lower and 40 issues remained unchanged on the CSE.
The port city bourse traded 3.48 million shares and mutual fund units worth more than Tk 216 million in turnover.
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