Stocks edge up on banking gains

Trading on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended slightly higher yesterday, reversing the losses of the previous session, buoyed by gains in banking sector shares.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the bourse, rose 6.36 points, or 0.11 percent, to close at 5,474.71, according to DSE data.

Other indices also performed positively. The Shariah-based DSES increased 0.08 percent to 1,186.36, while the blue-chip DS30 went up 0.28 percent to 2,135.04.

Turnover, a key indicator of investor activity, stood at Tk 706.32 crore, down from Tk 732.56 crore in the previous session.

The market closed in the green, while large-cap sectors posted mixed performance, said BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Ltd in its daily market update.

Block trades, high-volume transactions involving large numbers of securities, contributed 6.2 percent of the overall market turnover.

Market breadth was mixed, with 117 issues advancing against 199 declining, while 86 remained unchanged.

Among the major sectors, banking booked the highest gain of 1.07 percent, followed by engineering (0.53 percent), telecommunication (0.32 percent), and fuel & power (0.10 percent), BRAC EPL said.

Techno Drugs was the most traded share with a turnover of Tk 24 crore.

On the day's performance table, Rupali Bank surged 9.95 percent to top the gainers' list, while Prime Finance & Investment dropped 7.14 percent, becoming the worst performer of the session.