Bangladesh’s stocks end flat amid choppy trading

Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Bangladesh’s stocks ended almost flat in green on Sunday after choppy trading as investors were active on both sides of trading fence throughout the trading session.

Dealers said the optimistic investors showed buying appetite on some large-cap shares while cautious investors sold shares sector-wise issues, taking the market in the flat zone.

Following the previous week’s upward trend, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) opened higher with increasing trading activities.

Within first 15 minutes of trading, the key index of the country’s prime bourse advanced more than 28 points while the Selective Category Index of port city bourse gained 21 points at 10:45am.

After 30 minutes of trading, its slowed down somewhat and DSEX advanced more than 13 points while the Selective Category Index of port city bourse rose 9.26 points at 11:00am.

After 90 minutes of trading, DSEX rose more than 15 points, while the Selective Category Index of port city bourse gained 9.12 points at 12noon.

But, most of the initial gains wiped out as the session progressed; finally DSE key index closed only 3.18 points up.

DHAKA STOCK EXCHANGE:

DSEX, the core index of the DSE, which replaced the DGEN in four-and-a-half-year back, settled at 6,205 points, after advancing 3.18 points or 0.05 percent over the previous session.

The two other indices also closed higher.

The DS30 index, comprising blue chips advanced 13.71 points or 0.62 percent to finish at 2,215.

The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) rose 4.73 points or 0.35 per cent to close at 1,355.

The trading activities remained encouraging as total turnover on DSE amounting to BDT 10.54 billion against previous day’s BDT 10.58 billion.

However, losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 334 issues traded, 181 closed lower, 117 higher and 36 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.

Islami Bank Bangladesh topped the day’s turnover chart with 15.95 million shares of BDT 619 million changing hands, closely followed by LankaBangla Finance, National Bank, Exim Bank and Uttara Bank.

Northern Jute Manufacturing Company was the day’s best performer, posting a gain of 8.15 percent while newly listed Aamra Networks was the day’s worst loser, plunging by 5.88 percent.

CHITTAGONG STOCK EXCHANGE:

However, the port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) closed lower with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX – losing 12.66 points to close at 11,656.

Losers beat gainers as 138 issues closed lower, 89 closed higher and 23 remained unchanged on the CSE.

The port city bourse traded 17.84 million shares and mutual fund units worth BDT 504 million in turnover.

BBN/SS/AD