Stocks fall marginally

Stocks broke a three-day winning streak yesterday to close marginally lower amid cautious trading activity.

DSEX, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, fell 7.56 points or 0.16 percent, finishing the last day of the week at 4,519.85 points.

It was a day of choppy trade on the DSE: the market opened marginally higher in the first hour, but the gain was washed out by banking, cement and telecom stocks, said LankaBangla Securities.

“A selling spree was seen in the large-cap stocks, while the small-cap sector managed to end green,” the stockbroker said.

Turnover, another important indicator of the market, fell 9 percent to Tk 406.74 crore on transactions of 11.29 crore shares and mutual fund units.

Of the traded issues, 147 advanced and 121 retreated, with 44 securities unchanged on the premier bourse.

United Air dominated the turnover chart with 1.7 crore shares worth Tk 17.27 crore changing hands, followed by IFAD Autos, BSRM, Beximco and Khulna Power Company.

Among the major sectors, the engineering and pharma sectors were up 1.27 percent and 0.37 percent, while cement declined 1.84 percent followed by telecom 1.07 percent, non-bank financial institutions 0.82 percent and banks 0.28 percent.

Hakkani Pulp and Paper was the day's best performer, advancing 10 percent, while Samata Leather Complex was the worst loser, slumping 9.44 percent.

Chittagong stocks fell slightly yesterday with the bourse's benchmark index, CSCX, eroding 10.35 points to stand at 8,458.62.

Losers beat gainers as 117 declined and 94 advanced while 29 closed unchanged on the Chittagong Stock Exchange.

The port city bourse traded 1.11 crore shares and mutual fund units, generating a turnover of Tk 31.84 crore.