Stocks inched up amid upbeat trading activities yesterday, as Dhaka Stock Exchange turnover crossed Tk700 crore after a week.
The market was in the positive territory throughout the entire session with an uneven trading as investors mainly put funds into telecommunication, cement and insurance, and some, however, booked modest profit.
The benchmark index DSEX gained 10 points or 0.3% to settle at 4,697, extending its gaining streak for the second straight session.
The Shariah index DSES moved up 6 points to 1,128. The blue chip comprising index DS30 rose about 14 points or 0.8% to 1,767.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX settled at 8,736, marginally rising 31 points.
Participation in trading surged to Tk7,20 crore, a jump of over 16% over the previous session.
However, the market breadth remained negative as out of total 325 scrips traded at DSE, 153 declined, 138 advanced and 34 remained unchanged.
Investors’ concentration was mostly focused on engineering sector, contributing almost 18% of the day’s turnover, followed by textile over 16% and power 11%.
On sectoral front, telecommunication posted the highest return of 4.5%, driven by heavyweight Grameenphone that attracted investors on the news that the company grabbed the highest number of new connections last year.
IDLC Investments said enthusiasm spurred in the market from the very beginning of the session, pushing DSEX beyond 4,700-mark, a psychological level. As a result, investors opted to book a quick profit during the latter part of the day, closing the prime index flat, it said.
