Stocks on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended the week lower on Thursday as selling pressure in large-cap shares dragged down the benchmark index, even as turnover jumped 28 per cent.
The DSEX, the exchange’s broad index, fell 15.8 points, or 0.3 per cent, to close at 5,417, compared with 5,433 in the previous session.
Investor sentiment remained subdued amid corporate earnings disclosures and domestic economic challenges. Weak results from several large companies added to the pressure, while intermittent recovery attempts failed to reverse the decline.
Turnover rose to Tk564.60 crore from Tk441 crore on Wednesday, reflecting heavier trading despite the falling index.
Trading volume surged 68.9 per cent to 27.4 crore shares and units from 16.2 crore, while the number of transactions increased 2 per cent to 1,56,936.
Market breadth remained negative, with 183 stocks declining, 145 advancing and 67 remaining unchanged among 395 issues traded.
The blue-chip DS30 index shed 9.4 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 2,087, while the SME-focused DSMEX index lost 18.3 points, or 1.9 per cent, to 971.
Despite the index losses, total market capitalisation edged up 0.1 per cent to Tk6,74,500 crore from Tk6,73,500 crore.
Textiles led turnover with a 17.9 per cent share, followed by banking with 16.4 per cent and general insurance with 12.4 per cent.
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals accounted for 9.9 per cent of trading, fuel and power 8.3 per cent and engineering 7.6 per cent.
Most sectors ended lower. Food and allied stocks recorded the steepest decline, falling 3 per cent, followed by jute at 2.4 per cent and financial institutions at 2 per cent.
Mutual funds bucked the trend, gaining 1.2 per cent, while general insurance advanced 0.8 per cent and tannery stocks rose 0.3 per cent.
Union Capital led the gainers with a 9.76 per cent rise, followed by Phoenix Finance 1st Mutual Fund with 9.35 per cent, Information Services Network with 8.04 per cent, Prime Finance First Mutual Fund with 8.01 per cent and GBB Power with 6.67 per cent.
Islamic Finance and Investment was the biggest loser, shedding 9.35 per cent. Esquire Knit Composite fell 9.22 per cent, Baraka Patenga Power 7.14 per cent, Hamid Fabrics 5.93 per cent and Phoenix Finance and Investments 5.56 per cent.
