Ten top-traded companies captured more than 36 per cent transactions on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Wednesday, with Western Marine Shipyard topping the list for the fifth straight session.
Market insiders said the investors remained active on the company shares amid strong remour that the Western Marine will issue rights shares while healthy quarterly earnings results and directors' share sales helped the company to stay on top of the turnover list.
According to statistics available with the DSE, about 6.56 million shares of Western Marine were traded, generating a turnover of Tk 224 million. It was 5.67 per cent of the premier bourse's total transaction.
The country's leading shipbuilder's share price traded between Tk 33.20 and Tk 35.20, before closing at Tk 33.30, shedding 2.91 per cent over the previous session. In the last one year, the company's share traded between Tk 22 and Tk 50 each.
Western Marine's third quarter earnings per share (EPS) posted a 90.69 per cent growth to Tk 0.82 in January-March, 2018 quarter, against Tk 0.43 in the same period of the previous year.
In nine months, for July 2017 to March 2018, the EPS was Tk 2.14 as against Tk 1.46 for the July 2016-March 2017.
Western Marine, which was listed on the Dhaka bourse in 2014, disbursed 3.0 per cent cash and 12 per cent stock dividends for the year ended on June 30, 2017.
Apart from Western Marine, the most other active shares in terms of value included United Power, Bangladesh Steel Re-rolling Mills, Beximco, Square Pharmaceuticals, Queen South Textile, Grameenphone, Monno Ceramic Industries, BRAC Bank and Legacy Footwear.
United Power followed next with shares worth more than Tk 216 million changing hands. The power generation company's share price soared 4.31 per cent to close at Tk 225.20 each. It was the highest closing price since its listing with the DSE in 2015.
Bangladesh Steel Re-rolling Mills was third on the turnover list with shares worth Tk 171 million changing hands. The company's share price closed at Tk 114.60 each, soaring 6.01 per cent over the previous day.
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