The ten top-traded companies accounted for nearly 25 per cent of the total transactions on the country's premier bourse on Thursday, with Unique Hotel & Resorts topping the list.
Analysts said Unique Hotel & Resorts topped the turnover chart as investors were active on its shares throughout the trading session while an independent director of the company purchased a bulk amount of shares.
Recently, Prantik Travels and Tourism, (Ghulam Mustafa is the MD of Prantik Travels and Tourism and also an independent director of Unique Hotel & Resorts), has expressed its intention to buy 250,000 shares of the company at prevailing market price through stock exchange (DSE) within next 30 working days.
"The independent director of the company might have executed the buy order of said amount of shares of Unique Hotel on Thursday, which helped the company become turnover leader," said a stockbroker.
According to statistics available with the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), a total of 4.42 million shares of Unique Hotel & Resorts were traded, generating Tk 276 million or 5.38 per cent of the total transactions.
The total turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 5.12 billion, which was 18 per cent lower than the previous day's turnover of Tk 6.21 billion.
The company's share prices traded between Tk 61.20 and Tk 63.30, before closing at Tk 62.90, advancing 3.28 per cent over the previous day.
In the last one year, the company's share price traded between Tk 46.60 and Tk 63.30, hitting the year's highest price on Thursday.
The company's un-audited second quarter (Q2) earnings per share (EPS) stood at Tk 0.71 for October-December, 2017 as against Tk 0.69 for October-December, 2016.
In six months for July-December period of 2017, EPS was Tk 1.21, 2017 as against Tk 0.95 for July-December, 2016.
The board of directors of the company, which was listed on the Dhaka bourse in 2012, disbursed 20 per cent cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2017.
Other active shares in terms of value included Grameenphone, Monno Ceramic Industries, Brac Bank, Square Pharmaceuticals, Keya Cosmetics, Dragon Sweater, Fu-Wang Food, Paramount Textile and LankaBangla Finance.
Grameephone (GP) followed next with shares worth Tk 153 million changing hands. The largest market cap listed company's share price closed at Tk 505.10, shedding 0.20 per cent over the previous day.
Shares worth Tk 135 million of Monno Ceramics changed hands. The company's share price soared 4.18 per cent to finish at Tk 137.
Brac Bank emerged fourth with shares worth Tk 134 million changing hands. The bank's share price closed at Tk 97.20, losing 2.11 per cent over the previous session.
Square Pharmaceuticals generated a turnover of Tk 113 million. The second largest market cap company's share price ended at Tk 323.90, inching down 0.34 per cent.
Keya Cosmetics saw its shares worth Tk 101 million change hands. The company's share price fell 1.82 per cent to close at Tk 10.80.
The turnover of Dragon Sweater was Tk 95 million. Each share of the company closed at Tk 20.60, gaining 2.48 per cent over the previous day.
Fu-Wang Food featured a turnover of Tk 94 million. The company's share price closed at Tk 20.70, remaining unchanged over the previous day.
The turnover of Paramount Textile was Tk 86 million. Each share of the company closed at Tk 47.30, losing 0.63 per cent over the previous day.
LankaBangla Finance was among the top ten turnover chart, with shares worth Tk 83 million changing hands. The company's share price closed at Tk 38.80, shedding 1.77 per cent over the previous day.
