Staff Correspondent: After a brief rebound, the stock market experienced a downturn once again on Tuesday, with the majority of shares declining on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Despite the drop in indices, the turnover at DSE surged to nearly Tk 600 crore, the highest in over three and a half months. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also saw a mixed trend, with more stocks gaining than losing, yet its index ended lower. However, like DSE, turnover at CSE also increased significantly.
Market Performance and Key Trends
The DSE benchmark index, DSEX, fell by 8 points to settle at 5,203 points. Other indices also declined, with the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) losing 0.40 points to close at 1,160, and the DSE-30 Index, which tracks the top 30 firms, dropping 5 points to 1,922.
In total, 136 stocks gained, while 203 declined, and 59 remained unchanged at DSE.
Despite the index drop, the total turnover surged to Tk 599.37 crore, a significant increase from Tk 443.56 crore on the previous trading day-marking the highest turnover since 6 November 2024.
Leading the market in turnover was Robi Axiata, with Tk 32.43 crore in trades. Orion Infusion followed with Tk 22.16 crore, while Sunlife Insurance ranked third with Tk 19.68 crore.
Other companies in the top ten turnover list included Paper Processing, Grameenphone, RD Food, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, British American Tobacco, Beach Hatchery, and Midland Bank.
The CSE All Share Price Index (CASPI) dropped by 32 points. Among 211 listed firms, 90 saw gains, 81 declined, and 40 remained unchanged. Turnover at CSE jumped to Tk 5.99 crore, compared to Tk 2.91 crore in the previous session.
Market Movement and Investor Sentiment
Tuesday's session began with an upward trend as most stocks opened strong, pushing indices higher. However, as the session progressed, profit-taking led to a shift, with several stocks moving from gainers to losers, ultimately dragging down the index.
In the past two weeks, the market saw a consistent uptrend, with only occasional dips. After starting this week with a decline, Monday's session saw a recovery, only for Tuesday's trading to end in the red again.