Dhaka stocks advanced for the third trading session on Thursday, the last trading session of the week, as relatively peaceful situation on the first day of a two-day general strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami kept investors positive. The turnover at Dhaka Stock Exchange increased to a 16-month high at Tk 1,288.55 crore on Thursday compared with that of Tk 966.42 crore in the previous trading session.
Thursday’s turnover was the highest after the turnover of Tk 1,294.61 crore on July 9 last year.
The key index of the DSE, DSEX, increased to a fresh all-time high at 4,866.19 points on the day after its launch with 4,055.90 points on January 28 this year.
The DSEX rose by 1.41 per cent or 67.79 points on Thursday.
No significant violence took place during the first day of the Jamaat-called strike that helped investors to sustain the previous day’s enthusiastic participation at the trading, market operators said.
Investors were also sensing no tough political programme by the opposition led by BNP before the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation, they said.
Operators said that injection of fresh funds and active participation by the big investors along with the retail investors was the reason for the recent hike in share prices.
DS30, the blue-chip index of the bourse, increased by 1.06 per cent, or 20.01 points, to close at 1,899.31 points on the day.
The Shariah index of the bourse, DSES, finished at 1,147.31 points, adding 0.93 per cent or 10.63 points.
Of the 300 shares and mutual funds traded on the day, 200 advanced, 83 declined and 17 remained unchanged.
‘With the expectation of reversing last several years’ faded tone, market continued moving ahead,’ IDLC Investments said in its daily market commentary.
‘Hence, leaving behind country-wide strike, the bourse ended green, with investors’ stronger participation,’ it said.
Since, market positivity sustained for the last two months, confidence condensed amid clienteles, it said.
MJL Bangladesh led the turnover leaders on the day with its shares worth Tk 56.31 crore changing hands.
BSRM Steels, Beximco Pharma, Active Fine Chemical Industries, BEXIMCO, Grameenphone, Orion Pharma, Golden Son, Lafarge Surma Cement and BRAC Bank were among the other turnover leaders.
RAK Ceramics (Bangladesh) Limited gained the most on the day with a 10-per cent increase in its share price, while Midas Financing lost the most, shedding 9.09 per cent.
-With New Age input
