Stocks edged higher

Stocks extended their gaining spell for the second running session Tuesday with increasing turnover value as optimistic investors continued on buying spree.

The market opened higher in the morning and the upbeat note sustain till end of the session. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 30.67 points or 0.67 per cent to settle at 4,591.09.

The two other indices also closed higher. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, advanced 16.53 points or 0.95 per cent to 1,746.17. The DSE Shariah Index gained 10.10 points or 0.91 per cent to close at 1,111.20.

Turnover, another important indicator of the market, also rose to Tk 5.09 billion, which was 29.5 per cent higher than the previous day’s Tk 3.93 billion.

The gainers took a modest lead over the losers as out of 320 issues traded, 157 closed higher, 125 lower and 38 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.

Beximco Pharma dominated the turnover chart with shares worth above Tk 260 million changing hands followed by Square Pharma, City Bank, United Power Generation & Distribution Company and Alltex Industries.

Apex Foods was the day’s best performer, posting a rise of 10 per cent while Eastern Lubricants was the worst loser, slumping by 7.40 per cent after gaining in the last 12 trading sessions.

The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed higher after with its Selective Categories Index, CSCX, advancing 67.83 points to finish at 8,599.22.

Gainers beat losers as 115 issues closed higher, 101 lower and 38 remained unchanged on the CSE.

The port city bourse traded 11.94 million shares and mutual fund units worth above Tk 308 million in turnover. -FE