Stocks fall as investors go slow

The indexes of Bangladesh's share markets fell today as skittish investors adopted a go-slow policy because of the uncertainty centring last week's countrywide quota reform movement.

The benchmark of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the DSEX, edged down by 29.92 points, or 0.55 percent, from the previous day to settle at 5,383.72.

Similarly, the shariah-based stock index, the DSES, slipped 5.65 points, or 0.48 percent to 1,177.72, while the blue-chip share index, the DS30, went down by 11.51 points, or 0.59 percent to 1,921.26.

The market ended the day in the negative territory with a decrease of turnover, UCB Stock Brokerage said in its daily market update.

The turnover, which indicates the trading value of the day's shares, stood at Tk 488 crore, a decrease of 1.8 percent from that of the previous trading session.

Contribution by the block trades, meaning high volume transactions of privately negotiated securities outside the open market, was 6.3 percent of the overall market turnover.

Agni Systems was the most traded share with a turnover of Tk 28.7 crore stocks.

The information technology, bank and jute were the top three sectors to close on a positive note while travel and leisure, services and real estate and non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) sectors ended in the negative territory.

The banking sector dominated the turnover chart, accounting for 16.86 percent of the day's total market turnover.

A mixed performance was posted by large-cap sectors, according to the daily market update by BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage.

Telecommunication booked the highest gain of 1.17 percent, followed by bank 0.69 percent, fuel & power 0.04 percent, pharmaceuticals 0.68 percent, food & allied 0.99 percent, engineering 1.07 percent, and NBFI 1.89 percent respectively.

Out of the 392 scrips that changed hands on the DSE, 88 advanced, 261 closed lower and 43 did not witness any price movement.

Shares of blue-chip firms such as Grameenphone, Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh, IFIC Bank, Robi Axiata, United Commercial Bank and Jamuna Bank performed well.

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, Beximco Pharmaceuticals, BAT Bangladesh, Beacon Pharmaceuticals, BRAC Bank, Square Pharmaceuticals, Eastern Bank, Best Holdings, Orion Pharma and National Bank that displayed lacklustre performance.