The week at the country’s capital market ended on a sluggish note on Thursday, with Dhaka stocks inching up slightly while Chattogram stocks continued to decline amid thin participation and low turnover.

At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark index DSEX gained just 2 points to close marginally higher, snapping a four-day losing streak.

The Shariah-based DSES, however, fell by 5 points, while the blue-chip index DS30 remained unchanged.

Market breadth remained negative as share prices of 179 companies declined, compared to 154 gainers, while 65 issues closed unchanged.

Among category-wise performers, most A-category (fundamentally strong) stocks advanced, whereas B and Z-category issues ended lower. In the A-category, prices of 105 companies rose, 92 declined, and 24 remained unchanged.

The turnover also fell sharply, hitting the lowest level of the month. DSE posted a daily turnover of Tk 444 crore, down from Tk 487 crore in the previous session.

In the block market, 15 companies traded shares worth Tk 11 crore, with Asiatic Laboratories Ltd leading the segment with transactions worth Tk 3.9 crore.

People’s Insurance Company Ltd emerged as the day’s top gainer, soaring by nearly 8%, while Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company Ltd fell the most, sliding by 10%.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), however, extended losses, with its overall index declining by 36 points.

At the port city bourse, 106 issues lost value against 53 gainers, while 23 remained unchanged.

The turnover dropped to Tk 9 crore, compared to Tk 14 crore in the previous session.

People’s Insurance Company Ltd also topped the gainers’ list at the CSE, rising by about 9%, while Exim Bank First Mutual Fund was the worst performer, plunging by 10%.