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Published : 19 Jun 2025, 06:14 PM
The country’s main bourse has remained stuck in a prolonged downturn since March, with low investor confidence pushing turnover below Tk 4 billion on most trading days.
The benchmark DSEX index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) shed 22 points on Thursday to close at 4,754, while turnover dropped by Tk 228 million to Tk 3.05 billion compared with the previous session.
The DSE has been in a bear market since authorities began phasing out a floor price mechanism earlier this year, which had artificially propped up indices since the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the floor prevented sharp drops, it also severely dampened liquidity.
A brief recovery followed the political transition in early August, with gains in index and turnover, but that momentum faded by the end of November.
Despite the appointment of a new securities regulator, the downward trend persisted, exacerbated by a stricter margin loan policy announced in April.
Since May 6, when the market saw a steep fall, daily turnover has remained mostly below Tk 4 billion, falling under Tk 3 billion on all but four sessions.
The lowest turnover of the year was recorded on Jun 4, at just Tk 2.24 billion.
Saiful Islam, president of the DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh (DBA), said the market had likely reached its bottom.
“Key economic indicators are improving, and political uncertainty surrounding the elections has subsided. The market has little room to fall further. We believe a turnaround is beginning,” he said.
The index had climbed 27 points in the first 26 minutes of Thursday’s session but reversed gains under selling pressure.
Still, the DSE closed the post-Eid week with a net gain of 30 points across three positive sessions out of five.
On the day, 71 stocks gained, 258 declined, and 69 remained unchanged out of 398 traded issues.
The textile sector led gains by market performance, while food and allied stocks topped turnover, accounting for 15.79 percent or Tk 462 million of total trades.
Banks and pharmaceuticals followed with 12.34 percent and 12.14 percent of the market share respectively.
Based on closing prices, top gainers included Central Pharmaceuticals, Stylecraft, and Alhaj Textile, while Shampur Sugar, Anlima Yarn, and Silco Pharmaceuticals languished among the losers.
