Major stock index slips below 6,000 points after 33 months

The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) fell below the 6,000-point mark yesterday for the first time in 33 months. 

The last time this happened with the DSEX was on May 25, 2021, when it stood at 5,884 points. 

Yesterday the index dropped 32.76 points, or 0.54 percent, from that on the day before, to close at 5,974 points. 

The DSES, which represents Shariah-compliant firms, shed 9.08 points, or 0.69 percent, to 1,300. 

Similarly, the DS30, which comprises blue-chip stocks, lost 7.26 points, or 0.35 percent, to 2,056. 

Turnover, which indicates the volume of shares traded during the session, slumped 14.23 percent to Tk 483 crore. 

According to the daily market update by UCB Stock Brokerage, life insurance, non-bank financial institutions and engineering sectors closed in positive territory while paper and printing, real estate and IT sectors closed in the negative territory. 

Among the sectors, engineering dominated the turnover chart, accounting for 15.92 percent of it. 

Of the issues traded on the DSE, 112 gained, 222 lost, and 60 did not see any price fluctuation. 

Asiatic Laboratories, which was listed recently, topped the gainers' list with a rise of 9.96 percent, and was closely followed by Rupali Life Insurance Company with 9.30 percent.

The two were followed by Golden Son, People's Leasing and Financial Services, and Monno Fabrics with 8.57 percent, 7.69 percent and 7.45 percent, respectively. 

Taufika Foods and Lovello Ice-Cream, ICB AMCL Sonali Bank 1st Mutual Fund and Bangladesh Thai Aluminium were also on the list with 6.27 percent, 5.15 percent and 5.03 percent respectively. 

Crystal Insurance Company shed the most, losing 11.75 percent. 

Karnaphuli Insurance Company and International Leasing & Financial Services equally lost more than 5 percent while Doreen Power Generations and Systems, First Janata Bank Mutual Fund, Rupali Bank and Miracle Industries shed more than 4 percent. 

Most of the sectors that account for large amounts in market capitalisation posted negative performance yesterday. 

As per the daily market update by BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage, telecom experienced the highest loss of 1.03 percent followed by food and allied (0.74 percent), pharmaceuticals (0.53 percent), fuel and power (0.49 percent) and banks (0.37 percent). 

Chattogram Stock Exchange saw a similar trend as the Caspi, the main index of the port city bourse, fell 157 points, or 0.91 percent, to close at 17,105 points.