Dhaka stocks extended gains for a fourth straight session on Thursday as easing fears over immediate domestic fuel shortages improved investor confidence, pushing the benchmark index higher with broad-based buying.
The Dhaka Stock Exchange Broad Index rose 76.2 points, or 1.43 per cent, to close at 5,368.40.
The index has now recovered roughly half of the more than 10 per cent slide triggered by the Middle East war earlier this month.
DSEX had dropped from above 5,600 points to around 5,000 before rebounding this week.
“Trading remained mixed in the first half as investors stayed active on both buying and selling sides,” said EBL Securities Research.
Momentum strengthened in the latter half of the session, lifting most stocks, it added.
The blue-chip index DS30 gained 1.38 per cent to 2,066.24, while the Shariah-based index DSES advanced 1.61 per cent to 1,079.42.
Turnover on the premier bourse rose 13 per cent to Tk5.9 billion from Tk5.2 billion in the previous session, signalling improved participation.
Banks dominated trading with 14.7 per cent of total turnover, followed by pharmaceuticals with 14.1 per cent and food and allied companies with 11.5 per cent.
All sectors posted gains, led by cement stocks which climbed 5.1 per cent.
Travel and leisure shares rose 2.7 per cent and information technology stocks gained 2.6 per cent.
Of the 397 traded issues, 307 advanced, 32 declined and 58 remained unchanged.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also closed higher.
The Selective Categories Index rose 64.5 points and the All Share Price Index gained 111.5 points, reflecting a similar upward trend in the port city bourse.
