United News of Bangladesh

Asian stocks mostly slipped on Wednesday after Wall Street’s record-breaking run took a breather, with U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioning that stock prices are “fairly highly valued.” Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% to 45,300.30 in morning trade, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.0% to 8,756.30 and South Korea’s Kospi slid 1.1% to 3,448.44. In contrast, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.6% to 26,305.02, and the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.2% to 3,829.91. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 lost 0.6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 88 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.9%. The decline ended a three-day streak of record highs for all three indexes. Markets have surged since April, but some analysts warn stocks may have climbed too quickly and become overpriced. Powell noted that the Fed faces a tricky situation, with job market concerns rising even as inflation remains above the 2% target. His remarks were the first since the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate last week. “Essentially the Fed Chairman confirmed what we already knew — that the central bank remains between a rock and a hard place in managing inflation risks and a weakening job market,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. The Fed has signaled more rate cuts later this year and into next, but policymakers remain cautious as lower rates could fuel inflation further. Investors are now waiting for Friday’s U.S. inflation report, expected to show a slight pickup in consumer prices. Wall Street futures dip after record-high streak, eyes on Fed Technology stocks weighed heavily on Wall Street. Nvidia dropped 2.8% after pulling back from gains made on news of a partnership with OpenAI. Amazon slid 3%, while Microsoft lost 1%. The S&P 500 closed at 6,656.92, down 36.83 points. The Dow Jones fell 88.76 points to 46,292.78, and the Nasdaq tumbled 215.50 points to 22,573.47. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury slipped to 4.11% from 4.15% a day earlier. Oil prices edged higher, with U.S. benchmark crude rising 14 cents to $63.55 a barrel and Brent crude up 13 cents at $67.76. In currency trading, the dollar strengthened to 147.77 Japanese yen from 147.56 yen, while the euro fell to $1.1801 from $1.1818. Source: Agency 

Wall Street trading was quiet early Tuesday after the market posted a third consecutive record-high close. Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were slightly down by 0.1% before the opening bell, while Dow Jones industrials futures remained unchanged. Investors are focusing on upcoming central bank decisions, especially from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Stock markets have climbed since April on hopes that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will not disrupt global trade and that the Fed will continue cutting interest rates to support economic growth. Markets may also respond to a speech by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday. The Fed made its first rate cut of the year last week and indicated more reductions could follow through this year and into next. New data on U.S. household prices is expected on Friday. “A busier data day is expected, but all eyes will be on Fed Chair Powell’s speech tonight, which may clarify last week’s rate cut as a ‘risk management’ move,” said Michael Brown, senior research strategist at Pepperstone. In early trading, shares of Kenvue Inc., the maker of Tylenol, rose nearly 6%, rebounding from a record low on Monday after Trump linked Tylenol to vaccines and autism, claims the company denied. Walt Disney Co. shares edged up less than 1% after ABC said Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show would return Tuesday evening. ABC had suspended the show after affiliates criticized Kimmel’s comments on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Boeing shares gained more than 2% following Uzbekistan Airways’ announcement to buy up to 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Reports also suggested U.S. officials might secure a large plane order from China. In Europe at midday, France's CAC 40 rose 0.7% and Germany's DAX climbed 0.3%, while Britain’s FTSE 100 remained flat. In Asia, Tokyo markets were closed for a holiday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 increased 0.4% to 8,845.90, and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.5% to 3,486.19. Meanwhile, China saw declines, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng down 0.7% at 26,159.12 and the Shanghai Composite slipping 0.2% to 3,821.83 amid ongoing tariff discussions.

Trading at the country’s stock markets witnessed a mixed trend during the first hour on Tuesday, with Dhaka stocks edging up slightly while Chattogram stocks faced a decline. On the third trading day of the week, the key index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSEX) gained 5 points in the first hour of trading. Among other indices, the Shariah-based DSES rose by 1 point, while the blue-chip index DS30 fell by 1 point. Stocks fall again as DSE turnover hits two-month low Of the 214 issues traded during the period, prices of 91 declined, 84 remained unchanged, while 214 advanced. The turnover at DSE stood at over Tk 170 crore during the first hour. Meanwhile, Chattogram Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed a downward trend as its overall index shed 31 points. Out of 103 issues traded at CSE, 41 advanced, 49 declined and 13 remained unchanged, with a turnover of over Tk 4 crore in the first hour.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday expressed the hope that the U.S. side will work with China to promote the stable, sound and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade ties. When meeting with a U.S. congressional delegation led by Representative Adam Smith in Beijing, He said phone talks between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state last week had provided strategic guidance for the stable development of bilateral ties in the next stage. As the two countries have broad space for cooperation and extensive common interests, it is hoped that the U.S. side will engage in candid communication with China, and jointly build up mutual trust and dispel misgivings by following the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, He said. He called on members of the U.S. Congress to play a positive role in facilitating the shared development of both countries through opening up communication channels and helping enhance dialogues. 

Remittance inflow through banking channels surpassed $2 billion in the first 21 days of September, marking a 24.3 percent year-on-year rise, according to Bangladesh Bank data. Until September 21, Bangladeshi expatriates sent home $2 billion, compared to $1.63 billion during the same period last year. On September 21 alone, remittance stood at $128 million, while from September 18 to 20, a total of $133 million came in. By September 20, the inflow was $1.90 billion, which crossed the $2 billion mark the very next day. In the current fiscal year (2025-26), Bangladesh has so far received $6.93 billion in remittances, up from $5.77 billion during the same period of the previous year. In the July–September quarter of FY2024-25, remittance inflow recorded a growth of over 20 percent compared to the previous fiscal. Remittance has remained on an upward trend since the beginning of 2025, with March witnessing an all-time monthly high of $3.29 billion, the highest ever recorded in the country’s history.

Stocks continued to fall for the second straight day on Monday with the turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) hitting a two-month low, while both Dhaka and Chattogram bourses seeking their key indices declining. The DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, shed 44 points at the close of the day’s trading, while the Shariah-based DSES lost 8 points and the blue-chip DS30 dropped 11 points. The turnover at the DSE stood at Tk 544 crore, the lowest since July 3 when it was Tk 506 crore. After that, the market gradually rebounded with turnover crossing Tk 1,000 crore before slipping back to the Tk 500-crore range amid two weeks of consecutive losses. Out of 397 issues traded, prices of 303 declined, 44 advanced and 50 remained unchanged. All three categories — A, B and Z — witnessed a downward trend. In the A category, which offers the highest dividends, 159 companies saw their prices fall against 28 gainers, while 32 remained unchanged. In the block market, shares worth Tk 20 crore of 17 companies changed hands, with Prime Bank leading the turnover at Tk 11 crore. GQ Ball Pen Industries Limited topped the gainers’ list with an over 8 percent rise, while Baraka Power Limited hit the bottom, losing more than 10 percent. At the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), the overall index slipped by 120 points. Out of 201 issues traded, 151 declined, 33 advanced and 17 remained unchanged. Weekly stock market: Indices fall, turnover slumps; investors disheartened The turnover at the port city bourse stood at Tk 20 crore, up from Tk 14 crore in the previous session. Beximco Green Sukuk gained 10 percent to top the gainers’ chart at the CSE, while Baraka Power also ended at the bottom there with a loss of more than 10 percent.

The government has decided to raise the prices of edible oil in response to rising international rates, officials said on Monday. The move was agreed at a meeting between Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin and traders at the Secretariat, the officials said. The prices of both loose and bottled soybean and palm oil have been increased, with traders expected to announce the exact adjustment later. Traders had been pressing for a revision, citing an 18–20 percent surge in global soybean and palm oil prices. The Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association said the international price of soybean oil has reached USD 1,200 per tonne. The latest decision comes after palm oil prices were cut by Tk 19 to Tk 150 per litre on August 12, while soybean oil remained at Tk 189 per litre. In April, the government set soybean oil at Tk 189 and palm oil at Tk 169 per litre.

Indices at the country’s two bourses showed a mixed trend in the first hour of trading on Monday, the second working day of the week. At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index advanced by 5 points while the Shariah-based DSES and the blue-chip DS30 gained 1 point and 3 points respectively. Of the issues traded, prices of 180 advanced, 125 declined and 84 remained unchanged. Shares and mutual fund units worth over Tk 210 crore were transacted at the DSE during the period. Indices up in first hour at DSE, CSE On the other hand, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) opened lower as its overall index lost 83 points in early trading. At the CSE, prices of 27 issues advanced, 53 declined and 10 remained unchanged with a turnover of over Tk 6 crore in the first hour.

Bangladesh Bank is developing a special payment scheme to protect depositors of five Islamic banks that are set to merge. According to Bangladesh Bank data, the merging banks hold combined deposits of Tk 1.52 lakh crore, while outstanding loans have exceeded Tk 2.0 lakh crore. Personal deposits alone total nearly Tk 46,000 crore. Under the central bank’s plan, deposits of up to Tk 2.0 lakh will be promptly refunded under an insurance scheme. Deposits exceeding Tk 2.0 lakh will be refunded in a phased manner, although the exact timeline has yet to be determined. Refunds may carry a 4 percent return, but all existing deposit schemes will be cancelled. If a customer holds multiple accounts across these banks, they will be treated as a single account, and the insurance limit will remain at a maximum of Tk 2.0 lakh. Institutional depositors, meanwhile, may receive shares in the new bank instead of cash. Borrowers’ terms will remain unchanged, and they must continue their instalment payments as per the previous schedule. The new merged bank is projected to have assets of approximately Tk 2.2 lakh crore, with a paid-up capital of Tk 350 crore. Funding for the merger will include Tk 2,000 crore from the government, Tk 1,000 crore from the Deposit Insurance Fund, and Tk 50,000 crore from international development agencies such as the IMF, World Bank, and ADB, which will be delisted after the merger. Although the Bank Companies Act does not entitle general shareholders to compensation, Bangladesh Bank is considering alternative compensation options based on advice from the Ministry of Finance. The merger announcement has already caused a major market slump, with the share prices of these five banks falling to less than half their face value of Tk 10. Currently, only about a dozen of the 36 listed banks are trading above their Tk 10 face value. During the merger process, administrators will be appointed to replace the existing managing directors of the banks. These administrators will assess the banks’ financial health, maintain stability and have the authority to make executive changes, if necessary. They must be skilled in Sharia-compliant banking or be permitted to hire experts in this field.

The country’s capital market suffered a significant setback on Sunday, with the Dhaka bourse recording its lowest turnover of the month as most shares closed in the red. Although both Dhaka and Chattogram stock exchanges opened on a positive note during the first two hours of trade, the trend soon reversed and the indices closed deep in the negative territory. At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) on Sunday, the benchmark DSEX shed 68 points, while the Shariah-based DSES and the blue-chip DS30 lost 19 points and 23 points respectively. The turnover at the DSE stood at Tk 621 crore – the lowest so far this month. Out of 396 issues traded, prices of 307 declined, 39 advanced and 50 remained unchanged. The downtrend hit across all categories. In the top A-category companies that provide the highest dividends, only 24 gained while 173 declined and 22 remained flat. The block market saw 29 crore worth of shares traded from 28 companies, with Brac Bank topping the list by offloading shares worth Tk 15 crore. DBH First Mutual Fund was the day’s top gainer, advancing 5 percent, while Trust Islami Life Insurance Ltd sank more than 9 percent to emerge as the worst loser. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also faced a sharp decline as the CASPI index dropped by 138 points. Of the 214 issues traded, 161 lost, 32 gained and 21 remained unchanged. The turnover at the port city bourse stood at Tk 14 crore, up from Tk 12 crore in the previous session. Sena Insurance PLC soared over 9 percent to top the gainer list, while Usmania Glass Sheet Factory Ltd plunged more than 10 percent to the bottom.