Ahsan Habib

Junk stocks have frequently featured on the top gainers’ list for the past few weeks, bringing into question investors’ preference for such shares despite their substandard performance.

Retail investors may get a higher allocation of shares during initial public offerings (IPOs) as the regulator has moved to make the market an attractive investment destination for individuals.

Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, founder chairman of Padma Bank, has accused incumbent Chairman Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat of misusing Tk 100 crore from the troubled lender.

The presence of women in Bangladesh’s stock market is very low, as only 25 per cent of beneficiary owner’s (BO) accounts are owned by them as per the Central Depository Bangladesh’s data as of March 4.

Twelve technology-based startups are interested to enter the stock market in order to raise funds.

Insurance stocks surged throughout the 2020. But now figures show that insurance companies did not have good business as their premium income fell for the first time in at least 12 years.

While almost all the economic indicators of Bangladesh are in a positive trend, insurance is failing to keep pace due to a lack of awareness among the masses and mistrust.

Unilever Consumer Care, formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Bangladesh, posted a 46 per cent drop in profit last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Midland Bank Ltd plans to go public to strengthen its capital base by raising Tk 70 crore from the stock market.

Nearly three years have passed since welcoming a Chinese consortium as a strategic partner, but the Dhaka bourse is yet to secure any significant technology transfer from the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges.

Combined profit of the majority of the listed companies surpassed the pre-Covid level in October-December quarter, pointing to a fast rebound in business and economic activities.

The government’s efforts to ensure electricity at rural areas have opened the doors to a vast untapped market for the ice-cream and processed food sectors, said Md Ekramul Haque, managing director of Taufika Foods and Agro Industries.

The Insurance Development & Regulatory Authority (IDRA) yesterday appointed an administrator with immediate effect to one of the sector’s leading entities, Delta Life Insurance Company, explaining that it was to protect policyholders’ interests.

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh said yesterday it decided to go to arbitration to settle a dispute with Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems after the state company charged higher than the agreed price for natural gas.

Business for hotels in the capital was sluggish during the July-December period of 2020-21 as there were fewer events and programmes and a lower presence of guests.

Two-thirds listed apparel companies either made a higher profit or managed to stay in the black in July to December despite sluggish sales, reflecting the recovery for the most export-earning sector in Bangladesh.

Leading steel, cement and paint companies related to the construction sector witnessed higher profits in the July-December period of the current financial year despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) recently issued a directive offering companies not performing well an exit plan that would help protect small investors in case of delisting.

Bangladesh’s leading listed pharmaceutical companies have bagged higher profits in the first half of the current financial year which began in July 2020, a result of people starting to see doctors again.

Most fuel and power stocks registered lower profitability in the first half of the current financial year (FY) due to the pandemic-induced economic slowdown.