Stocks maintain gaining streak for third straight day

Indexes of the stock market in Bangladesh maintained their gaining streak for a third consecutive day yesterday as investors made fresh bets on blue-chip and large-cap shares, gaining confidence from an increase in the circuit breaker’s lower limit.
The circuit breaker in the share market determines the extent to which the price of a stock can fluctuate on a trading day.
The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) recently raised the lower limit from 3 percent to 10 percent for publicly traded companies. The upper limit, however, was kept unchanged at 10 percent.
Besides, the stock regulator took several decisions in a bid to bring good governance and solidify investor confidence in the market.
The change offered investors and industry people optimism that market forces, meaning demand and supply, would be better able to play out and determine the prices.
The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), yesterday grew 24.95 points, or 0.43 percent from the previous day, and closed at 5,829.37 points, marking a rise for three straight days.
Similarly, the DSES, the index that represents Shariah-based companies, went up by 4.29 points, or 0.34 percent, to 1,245.55, while the DS30 index for the blue-chip firms added 4.13 points, or 0.19 percent, and increased to 2,128.84.
Of the issues that changed hands on the trading floor, prices of 255 advanced, 100 declined, and 35 did not witness any fluctuation.
The day’s turnover, which indicates the total volume of shares traded, stood at Tk 933.63 crore, a decrease of 3.08 percent compared to the previous day’s trading session.
The food and allied sector dominated the turnover chart, accounting for 16.47 percent of the day’s total market turnover.
Block trades, meaning high-volume transactions in securities that are privately negotiated and executed outside of the open market, contributed 3.1 percent to the day’s overall market turnover.
British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh Company Limited was the most traded share with a turnover of Tk 86.3 crore.
Appollo Ispat Complex took the pole position on the gainers’ list with a rise of 10 percent.
Crystal Insurance Company, National Life Insurance Company, Khulna Printing and Packaging, Asiatic Laboratories, and Global Heavy Chemicals put up gains as well.
Investment Corporation of Bangladesh, Union Capital, United Finance, and Techno Drugs were also on the gainers’ chart.
Khulna Power Company shed the most, losing 10 percent.
New Line Clothings, Mithun Knitting and Dyeing, Shinepukur Ceramics, Bangladesh Industries Financial Company, Social Islami Bank, United Commercial Bank and Pragati Life Insurance displayed lacklustre performances.
In its daily market update, BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage said most large-cap sectors posted a positive performance yesterday.
The non-bank financial institution (NBFI) sector booked the highest gain of 6.23 percent, followed by food and allied, engineering, fuel and power, and pharmaceuticals, which logged 1.23 percent, 0.85 percent, 0.41 percent and 0.32 percent, respectively.
On the other hand, the banking sector posted a loss of 0.86 percent while telecommunications recorded a loss of 0.41 percent.
Shares of companies like Olympic Industries, BAT Bangladesh, Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag Industries, Renata, Linde Bangladesh, Prime Bank, Taufika Foods and Lovello Ice-cream, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Fortune Shoes, and Orion Pharma drew the most investors, according to LankaBangla Financial Portal.
Square Pharmaceuticals, Islami Bank Bangladesh, United Commercial Bank, Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Southeast Bank, Robi Axiata, National Bank, IFIC Bank, Meghna Petroleum and Kohinoor Chemicals fared poorly.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also saw a similar upward trend. The CASPI, the broad index of the port city bourse, edged up 103.68 points, or 0.63 percent, to settle at 16,623.91.