Stocks inch down for second day

Stocks inched down for the second running session Thursday with choppy trading as most of the investors remained followed cautious stance.

The market started with a downward trend and the negative trend sustained till end of the session amid volatile trading almost throughout the session.

At the end of the session, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), settled at 4,571.12, slipping by 2.21 points or 0.04 per cent.

The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, fell 4.39 points or 0.25 per cent to finish at 1,742.72.

The DSE Shariah Index dropped 0.44 points or 0.04 per cent to close at 1,108.42.

Turnover, another important indicator of the market, came down to Tk 3.42 billion, which was 17.39 per cent lower than the previous day’s Tk 4.14 billion.

The gainers took a modest lead over the losers as out of 324 issues traded, 149 closed higher, 122 lower and 53 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.

Linde Bangladesh dominated the turnover chart with shares worth above Tk 137 million changing hands followed by Beximco Pharma, United Airways, RAK Ceramic and Square Pharma.

Fu-Wang Ceramic was the day’s best performer, posting a rise of 10 per cent while Aziz Pipes was the worst loser, slumping by 9.45 per cent.

The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also edged lower with its Selective Categories Index, CSCX, shedding 10.41 points to finish at 8,551.60.

Losers beat gainers as 101 issues closed lower, 90 higher and 41 remained unchanged on the CSE.

The port city bourse traded 11.75 million shares and mutual fund units worth above Tk 284 million in turnover. -FE