TBT DESK: The stock markets in Dhaka and Chattogram have been experiencing a continuous decline since the beginning of this trading week, a trend that persisted on the third consecutive day.
On Tuesday, the key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) - the DSEX- dropped by 26 points, bringing the total loss over three days to 53 points. Last week, on the final trading day (27 February), the DSEX stood at 5,247 points, which has now declined to 5,194 points.
Other indices of the Dhaka market also suffered losses. The Shariah-based DSES fell by 4 points, while the DS30, which tracks select blue-chip stocks, declined by 8 points.
In addition to falling indices, overall trading volume has also decreased. The total turnover for the day stood at Tk 338 crore, compared to Tk 381 crore the previous day.
Out of the 396 companies that participated in the trading, only 65 saw an increase in share prices, while 267 registered a decline, and 64 remained unchanged.
Stock prices across all categories-A, B, and Z-were predominantly on a downward trend. Among the 37 mutual funds traded, only 2 gained in value, 15 declined, and 20 remained unchanged.
Apart from the main index, the SME index of the DSE also witnessed a significant downturn. The DSMEX dropped by 23 points, marking a 2.33% decline from the previous day. Additionally, the trading volume in small and medium-sized listed companies hit rock bottom, with shares and units worth only Tk 1.81 crore changing hands, down from Tk 5.46 crore the previous day.
Among DSE-listed companies, Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals Limited saw the highest price gain of 9.52%, while Sonargaon Textile Limited suffered the biggest loss, with its price dropping by 7.96%.
In the block market, a total of 20 companies traded 17 lakh shares worth Tk 8 crore. ACI Limited led this segment, selling 1.5 lakh shares for Tk 2.47 crore. The Chattogram Stock Exchange (CSE) also experienced a sharp decline alongside Dhaka. The overall index of the CSE fell by 82 points during the day's trading.
Among the 227 companies traded, 51 recorded price increases, 149 declined, and 27 remained unchanged.
However, unlike the DSE, the CSE saw a slight increase in turnover. The total trading value at the CSE on Tuesday stood at Tk 4.37 crore, compared to Tk 3.31 crore the previous day.
Bangladesh Lamps PLC led the CSE with a price gain of 9.97%, while Paramount Insurance PLC suffered the biggest loss, dropping by 9.98%.