Stocks fall amid lower trade

Stocks in Bangladesh fell yesterday as investors largely stayed away from trading amid the ongoing crisis at home and abroad.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), dropped 22 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 6,207 at the end of the day.

Turnover, an important indicator of the market, however, rose to Tk 540 crore, up 26 per cent from the previous session's Tk 428 crore.

The DS30, the blue-chip index, slipped 0.32 per cent to 2,183 while the DSES, the shariah-compliant index, was down 0.43 per cent to 1,349.

Of the securities, only 20 advanced, 63 declined and 230 did not show any price movement.

Chartered Life Insurance Company topped the gainers' list with a 9.96 per cent rise.

Advent Pharma, Sonali Aansh Industries, Bangladesh General Insurance Company, and Monno Agro & General Machinery were also among the major advancers. HR Textile suffered the highest correction, sliding more than 9 per cent. ADN Telecom, Bangladesh Monospool Paper Manufacturing Co, Gemini Sea Food, and Sinobangla Industries witnessed significant losses.

Bashundhara Paper Mills was the top traded stock with shares worth Tk 63 crore changing hands followed by Genex Infosys, Orion Pharma, Navana Pharmaceuticals, and Padma Islami Life Insurance.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange also dropped. The Caspi, the all-share price index of the bourse in the port city, lost 76 points, or 0.41 per cent, to close at 18,340.

Of the issues, only 19 rose, 46 retreated and 75 did not see any price swing.