All three indices of the Dhaka Stock Exchange slipped into the red yesterday as investors have taken a cautious stance amid persisting macroeconomic worries.
The DSEX, the broader index of the premier bourse in Bangladesh, was down 26.56 points, or 0.42 per cent, to close at 6,301, falling to the lowest level in a month.
The DSES Index, which represents the Shariah-based companies, slipped 0.29 per cent to 1,378.86, while the DS30 Index, which consists of the blue-chip firms, lost 0.52 per cent to 2,286.60.
In its daily market review, International Leasing Securities Ltd blamed the selling spree of jittery investors for the decline.
Investors also decreased their participation in the market amid a lack of clear direction about the economy, which is under strains because of the volatile exchange rate, abnormally high imports and rising inflation owing to a spike in global commodity prices and the lingering Russia-Ukraine war.
Turnover fell 13.1 per cent to Tk 594.4 crore, the lowest since May 26.
Losers outnumbered gainers with out of 381 issues traded during the session, 230 declined, 94 advanced and 57 remained unchanged.
Of the sectors, jute, telecommunication and food and allied achieved the highest price appreciation, while paper, general insurance and cement suffered the highest correction.
The investors’ concentration was mainly focused on the textile, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and engineering sectors.
Among the individual companies, Global Heavy Chemicals topped the gainers’ list, rising 9.91 per cent.
Meghna Insurance, Meghna Condensed Milk Industries, Prime Textile Spinning Mills, Fu Wang Food, Savar Refractories, and Meghna Pet Industries added 7.5 per cent to 9.7 per cent.
Imam Button Industries gave up the most, declining 2 per cent.
Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Paper Processing & Packaging, HR Textile, and Tamijuddin Textile Mills were also among the major losers.
Fu Wang Food was the most-traded stock with its shares worth Tk 34 crore changing hands, followed by Shinepukur Ceramics, Metro Spinning, Monno Fabrics, and Shurwid Industries.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also fell.
The CASPI, the broader index of the bourse in the port city, ended at 18,573, down 0.24 per cent.
Of the 281 securities transacted, 83 gained, 162 lost and 36 did not see any price movement.
Turnover fell to Tk 21.64 crore from Tk 23.24 crore in the previous session.
