Stock market closed marginally higher on Tuesday as selective bargain hunting in large-cap stocks lifted the benchmark index, although trading activity continued to weaken amid cautious sentiment and thin liquidity.
Dhaka Stock Exchange’s (DSE) broad-based benchmark DSEX of the rose 8.4 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 5,212, recovering part of the previous session’s losses.
The DS30 index gained 1.8 points to 1,970, while the SME index advanced 13.3 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 1,228.
Market participants said buying interest in blue-chip stocks helped support the index through the session, but overall sentiment remained subdued ahead of holiday-related liquidity pressures.
Turnover fell 6.9 per cent to Tk 676 crore from Tk 726 crore in the previous session, signalling continued weakness in participation.
Total trades declined nearly 10 per cent, while traded volume dropped 7.4 per cent to 23 crore shares.
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals led sectoral turnover with a 16.9 per cent share, followed by general insurance at 13.6 per cent and banks at 11.4 per cent.
Sector performance was mixed. Ceramic and jute stocks were the top gainers, each rising 1.9 per cent, while services and real estate gained 1.3 per cent.
Mutual funds, food and allied, and life insurance stocks ended lower.
Out of 396 traded issues, 178 advanced, 133 declined and 85 remained unchanged, reflecting moderately positive market breadth.
Banking stocks supported the index, with City Bank, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Pubali Bank and Prime Bank among the key gainers.
Walton Hi-Tech Industries, British American Tobacco Bangladesh and Square Pharmaceuticals weighed on the benchmark.
In turnover leaders, Asiatic Laboratories topped the chart with shares worth Tk 31.66 crore changing hands, followed by NCC Bank, RD Food Industries and Techno Drugs.
Among individual movers, BIFC surged 10 per cent, while Phoenix Finance and Investments and Union Capital gained over 9 per cent each.
On the downside, People’s Leasing and other financial institutions fell sharply.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also ended higher, with the CSCX index rising 23 points to 9,029 and the CASPI index advancing 31.1 points to 14,655.
Turnover at the port city bourse rose 5.6 per cent to Tk 19.8 crore.
