Most shares unchanged amid low investor participation

Most shares on the Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges did not see any price movement yesterday as investors refrained from making fresh bets amid persisting uncertainty.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, lost 3 points, or 0.05 per cent, to close the day at 6,204.

The DS30, the blue-chip index, decreased 0.08 per cent to 2,215 while the DSES, the shariah-compliant index, went down 0.2 per cent to 1,349.

"The Dhaka stocks continued bleeding amid low turnover. The risk-averse investors opted for liquidating their position to escape further losses on their portfolios," said International Leasing Securities Ltd, a brokerage house, in its daily market analysis.

Following the previous session, the market opened with a downward movement and observed volatility in the morning session. Later, the bargain hunters tried to reverse the downward trend but failed ultimately, it said.

Turnover, a key indicator of the market, fell 23 per cent to Tk 344 crore. Of the securities, 51 advanced, 35 declined and 234 did not show any price movement.

Among the sectors, life insurance rose 0.9 per cent, services were up 0.7 per cent and jute added 0.4 per cent. On the other hand, the travel sector lost 1.5 per cent, the tannery sector edged down 0.5 per cent, and the textile sector went down 0.3 per cent.

Investors' concentration was mainly focused on the pharmaceuticals sector, which constituted 22.8 per cent of the day's turnover. The IT and the life insurance sectors accounted for 12.9 per cent and 12.4 per cent of the turnover, respectively.

Shyampur Sugar Mills posted the highest appreciation on the day, advancing 7.36 per cent. Imam Button Industries Ltd rose 7 per cent and Legacy Footwear Ltd won 4.96 per cent.

Al-Haj Textile Mills suffered the sharpest fall, declining 10 per cent. Bengal Windsor Thermoplastics gave up 9.94 per cent and Orion Infusion shed 5.38 per cent.

Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa was the most-traded stock with its shares worth Tk 14.96 crore changing hands. Rupali Life Insurance Company, Shinepukur Ceramics, and ADN Telecom saw significant turnovers as well.

The Caspi, the all-share price index of the Chittagong Stock Exchange, remained almost flat to close at 18,324. Of the issues, 30 rose, 27 retreated and 120 did not see any price swing.

Turnover of the port city bourse plummeted more than 64.7 per cent to Tk 8.27 crore.