DSE turnover crosses Tk 9b-mark

Stocks posted marginal gain on Tuesday with turnover crossing Tk 9.0 billion-mark on the main bourse after two months as investors remained active in the market.

The market opened with a higher note, but late hour profit taking sale wiped out most of the early gain. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went up by 9.26 points or 0.19 per cent to settle at 4,871.81. The two other indices also closed in green.

The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, advanced 3.25 points or 0.17 per cent to finish at 1,904.75. The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) gained 4.79 points or 0.39 per cent to end at 1,207.91. Turnover remained strong and the total turnover amounted to Tk 9.28 billion, which was 14.42 per cent higher than the previous session’s Tk 8.11 billion.

The gainers took a modest lead over the losers as out of 323 issues traded, 156 closed higher, 128 lower and 39 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor. United Airways was the day’s top turnover leader with shares of Tk 434 million changing hands followed by Islami Bank, Lafarge Surma Cement, Beximco and BSRM Steels. Premier Cement was the day’s best performer, posting a rise of 9.97 per cent while Exim Bank First Mutual Fund was the day’s worst loser, plunging by 7.93 per cent.

The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed marginally higher with its Selective Categories Index CSCX gained 24.66 points to close at 9,101. Gainers beat losers 134 to 96, with 31 issues remained unchanged on the port city bourse that traded 24 million shares and mutual fund units with a value of Tk 701 million. -FE