STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Dhaka and Chattogram stock exchanges ended the week in black although most shares on the bourses fell yesterday.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), was up 12 points, or 0.19 per cent, to close at 6,560, the rise for the third straight day.

The DS30, the index that consists of blue-chip companies, gained 0.96 per cent to 2,376, while the DSES, the shariah-based index, was down 0.06 per cent at 1,441.

The key index of the DSE edged up riding on the big cap stocks following a sharp rise in the last two sessions as optimistic investors are depositing fresh funds into securities in the hope of positive movement ahead, said International Leasing Securities Ltd, a brokerage house, in its daily market review.

Losers outnumbered gainers with 188 issues declining, 72 advancing, and 119 remaining unchanged.

Turnover dropped nearly 15 per cent Tk 1,877 crore. It was Tk 2,201 crore on Wednesday.

Among the sectors, jute was up 5.1 per cent and cement rose 2.8 per cent. The travel sector shed 4.5 per cent, the service sector lost 3.6 per cent, and the paper sector suffered a 3.5 per cent price correction.

Investors’ activity was mostly focused on pharmaceuticals, which accounted for 23.1 per cent of the day’s turnover, and textile, which made up 10.9 per cent of the turnover.

Orion Infusion was the most successful stock, rising 8.72 per cent. Orion Pharma rose 7.51 per cent, Sonali Aansh Industries was up 7.49 per cent, Yeakin Polymer advanced 7.27 per cent, and Kohinoor Chemicals Company added 7.14 per cent.

Bashundhara Paper Mills suffered the most, falling 9.19 per cent. Other major decliners included Nahee Aluminum Composite Panel, JMI Hospital Requisite Manufacturing, Sinobangla Industries, and Apex Foods.

Bangladesh Export Import Company, which rose 6.28 per cent on the day, was the most traded stock, with its shares worth Tk 264 crore changing hands.

Orion Pharma, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, JMI Hospital, Nahee Aluminum, and IPDC Finance also witnessed significant transactions.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also rose although most of its shares fell as well.

The Caspi, the all-share price index of the bourse in the port city, ended the week at 19,276, up 79.80 points or 0.42 per cent.

Of the securities, 64 advanced, 142 declined and 73 did not show any price movement.

Turnover dropped to Tk 27.93 crore, down more than 35 per cent from Tk 43.10 crore a day earlier.

HOW STOCKS FARED IN THE WEEK

The DSEX had experienced corrections for two days at the beginning of the week before reversing the direction.

The key index added 51.4 points in the week, while the DSES and the DS30 gained 32.1 points and 70.5 points, respectively.

The week saw the DSEX cross the 6,500-point mark. On Sunday, turnover rocketed to Tk 2,296 crore, the highest in 10 months. Turnover, however, averaged Tk 1,818 crore, a decrease of 4.45 per cent from the previous week, said the brokerage house.

Among the sectors, jute advanced 9.1 per cent and pharmaceuticals and chemicals gained 6 per cent.

The service and real estate suffered the most correction, giving up 8.6 per cent, while the financial institution sector lost 5.1 per cent and the general insurance sector fell 3.1 per cent.

Pharmaceuticals and chemicals stocks represented 19.8 per cent of the week’s turnover on the Dhaka bourse, while the engineering sector accounted for 12.7 per cent of the turnover.

The Caspi of the port city bourse added 120 points.