Stocks end flat with choppy trading

Stocks finished the week flat on Thursday with choppy trading almost throughout the session as late buying spree offset early losses.

DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), settled the week at 4,765.72, after edging up 1.84 points or 0.03 per cent from the previous session. The DSE Shariah Index (DSES) gained 0.87 points or 0.07 per cent to 1,177.10. However, the DS30 index, comprising blue chips, lost 1.82 points or 0.10 per cent to end the week at 1,823.17.

Trading activities rose to 10-session high and amounted to Tk4.98 billion, which was 43 per cent higher than the previous day’s two month lowest Tk3.48 billion. The gainers took a modest lead over the losers as out of issues traded 313 issues traded, 174 closed higher, 95 lower and 44 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor. The newly listed Aman Feed dominated the day’s turnover chart for the third consecutive sessions with shares of Tk606 million changing hands. However, the company’s share lost 6.80 per cent to close at 79.5 on Thursday. It was followed by SPCL, Emerald Oil, Square Pharma and Khan Brokers PP Woven Bag. Anwar Galvanizing was the day’s best performer, posting a rise of 9.87 per cent while ICB First Mutual Fund was the day’s worst loser, plunging by 10 per cent.

The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed slightly higher with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX – gained 5.50 points to settle the week at 8,891.60. Gainers beat losers 130 to 94, with 22 issues remained unchanged on the port city bourse that traded 12 million shares and mutual fund units with a value of Tk387 million. -FE