The capital bourse came under profit-taking pressure after 10 consecutive sessions of gains, as investors locked in recent profits and turned cautious ahead of pre-budget uncertainties linked to regulatory leadership transition expectations.
The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) benchmark DSEX fell 0.60 per cent to 5,483 points from 5,516 in the previous session.
The session opened volatile and extended the corrective momentum from late-session selling in the previous trading day, remaining in negative territory throughout as broad-based profit booking weighed on major scrips.
Turnover fell 29.9 per cent to Tk1,070 crore from Tk1,530 crore in the previous session, reflecting subdued participation amid cautious sentiment. Selective buying, however, emerged in insurance stocks on expectations of short-term gains.
General insurance accounted for 19.2 per cent of total turnover, followed by engineering sector’s 13.2 per cent and the pharmaceuticals’ 12.1 per cent turnover contributions.
Most sectors closed lower, with services, cement and financial institutions exerting the strongest drag on the index. Gains were limited to general insurance, which rose 1.9 per cent, paper which rose 0.7 per cent and tannery which rose 0.4 per cent.
Analysts said concerns over a potential removal of floor prices on large-cap stocks, including Beximco and Islami Bank, contributed to heightened caution, with investors factoring in the risk of a perceived free fall in heavyweight counters.
The expectation of such a policy shift prompted selective profit-taking, particularly after the recent rally.
Market breadth remained weak, with 98 issues advancing, 246 declining and 52 unchanged out of 396 traded securities.
The port city bourse also closed lower. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories’ Index (CSCX) fell 1.03 per cent, while the All Share Price Index (CASPI) declined 0.99 per cent amid parallel selling pressure across key segments.
