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Stocks ended flat for the second consecutive day yesterday as investors kept maintaining their wait-and-see approach amid higher infections of Covid-19.
The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), edged up 3 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 7,089 at the end of the day.
On the premier bourse, 142 stocks rose, 196 declined and 41 remained the same.
The market posted a slight gain after witnessing choppy trading as most investors followed a cautious stance ahead of December-end earnings and dividend declarations, said International Leasing Securities in its daily market review.
Some large-cap stocks such as British American Tobacco, Beacon Pharmaceuticals, and Square Pharmaceuticals glided the broad index upward, it said.
Among the sectors, tannery rose 3.5 per cent, jute was up 1.8 per cent, and food and allied increased 1.6 per cent. The life insurance sector dropped 2.1 per cent, travel and leisure fell 1.7 per cent, and general insurance declined 1.1 per cent.
The investors’ activity was mostly concentrated on pharmaceuticals and chemicals, which accounted for 14.6 per cent of the day’s turnover, followed by engineering with 13.2 per cent and textile with 10.3 per cent.
Turnover advanced 1.54 per cent to Tk 1,275 crore.
Fortune Shoes was the most-traded stock on the day with shares worth Tk 98 crore changing hands. Orion Pharmaceuticals, Beximco Ltd, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, and Saif Powertec also saw heavy trading.
Meghna Pet Industries topped the gainers list, advancing 10 per cent. Aramit Cement, BD Thai Food, Meghna Condensed Milk, and Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills all rose more than 9 per cent.
Queen South Textile was the worst-performing stock, shedding 7.12 per cent. Peninsula Chittagong, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, Acme Pesticides, and Yeakin Polymer were also among the major losers.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also dropped. The CASPI, the main index of the bourse in the port city, rose 6 points, or 0.03 per cent, to close at 20,775.
Of the 311 securities traded, 129 rose, 152 fell and 74 remained unchanged.
(TDS)
