Dhaka stocks gained slightly in the past week after decreasing in two consecutive weeks, as a section of investors went for low-priced scrips hoping for quick profits after the price corrections, market operators said.
DSEX, the key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, gained 8.75 points, or 0.15 per cent, in the past week to end at 5,735.27 points, after decreasing by 2.13 points in the previous week.
The Dhaka bourses operated in a total of four sessions in the past week, among which it gained in two sessions and lost in the other two.
The bourse remained closed on September 16 on the occasion of Eid-e-Miladunnabi.
Market operators said that investors were watchful amid the ongoing reform efforts to improve the governance on the market by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission.
The BSEC has recently set up a committee to investigate the activities of the stock exchanges in Dhaka and Chattogram.
The total turnover on the DSE dipped in the past week to reach Tk聽2,452.34 crore compared with that of Tk 3,221.45 crore in the previous week.
Of the 397 issues traded in the past week, 142 increased, 213 decreased and 42 stayed the same.
Investors were mostly active in pharmaceutical scrips, followed by bank and fuel and power shares.
EBL Securities in its weekly market commentary said, 鈥楾he market began the week on a gloomy note as investors preferred to remain cautious amid the earnings declaration of June-closing companies.鈥�
鈥楬owever, bargain hunters emerged to rescue the market by taking positions on sector-specific scrips, where recent foreign aid commitments to alleviate the foreign exchange reserve crisis also acted as a positive catalyst and ultimately compelled the benchmark index to end in positive territory,鈥� it added.
The DS30 index increased by 5.69 points, or 0.27 per cent, to finish at 2,106.44 points.
The DSE Shariah index gained 12.13 points, or 0.97 per cent, to close at 1,257.81 points in the past week.
Sonali Aansh Industries topped the average weekly turnover chart with shares worth Tk 26.30 crore changing hands per session.
Linde Bangladesh, Grameenphone, Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, Orion Infusion, BRAC Bank, Islami Bank Bangladesh, British American Tobacco Bangladesh, The IBN SINA Pharmaceutical Industry and Sonali Paper & Board Mills聽were the other turnover leaders.