Bangladesh’s stock market returned to positive territory on Tuesday, with the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) benchmark index gaining 51.1 points as investors resumed buying fundamentally strong shares after two sessions of profit-taking.
The rebound was supported by improved investor sentiment following the finance minister’s recent assurance that the government remained committed to the long-term development of the capital market. The DSE’s broad index, DSEX, rose 0.9 per cent to close at 5,605 points, while the blue-chip DS30 index advanced 17.4 points to 2,127.
The SME-focused DSMEX posted the strongest performance of the day, jumping 3.5 per cent to 1,258 points.
Despite the rise in major indices, trading activity slowed. Daily turnover fell 5.4 per cent to Tk8.28 billion from Tk8.76 billion in the previous session.
Trading volume also declined, dropping 14.5 per cent to 245 million shares, while the total number of trades fell 13.6 per cent.
Market breadth, however, remained strongly positive, reflecting broad-based buying interest across the bourse. Of the issues traded, 274 advanced, 52 declined and 70 remained unchanged.
Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals led the turnover chart, accounting for 16.1 per cent of total market transactions. The Banking sector followed with 12.3 per cent, while Engineering accounted for 11.2 per cent and General Insurance 11.1 per cent.
Among sectors, Travel and Leisure emerged as the day’s top performer, gaining 4.5 per cent. General Insurance rose 3.8 per cent, while Financial Institutions advanced 3.4 per cent.
The Miscellaneous sector was the only major sector to close lower, losing 2.0 per cent.
Among individual stocks, BIFC topped the gainers’ list with a 9.96 per cent rise. BESTHLDNG, BNICL and IPDC also posted strong gains, each rising between 9 per cent and 10 per cent.
On the other side of the market, BEXIMCO recorded the steepest fall of the day, declining 9.82 per cent.
In terms of turnover, BXPHARMA led the market with transactions worth Tk 743.3 million. IPDC and BRACBANK followed on the turnover chart.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also ended higher, reflecting a positive mood across the country’s equity markets. The CASPI index gained 36 points, while the CSCX added 4.6 points.
