Dhaka’s stock market ended Tuesday’s trading session on a positive note, though the index recorded only a marginal increase. Despite this, most company shares saw a decline in prices, while overall market turnover rose.
The benchmark DSEX index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) increased by just 1 point.
The other two indices, the Shariah-based DSES and the blue-chip DS30, saw only decimal-level gains.
Out of the 399 companies traded throughout the day, the share prices of 140 companies increased, while 185 declined and 74 remained unchanged.
Performance Across Categories
Although most companies under the A and B categories experienced price declines, shares in the Z category showed a higher proportion of price increases. In the A category, 78 companies saw their prices rise, 103 declined, and 38 remained unchanged. The B category saw 24 price gains, 48 declines, and 14 unchanged shares.
Meanwhile, in the Z category, 37 companies experienced price increases, 34 saw declines, and 21 remained unchanged. Among 37 mutual funds traded, 17 remained unchanged, while 6 rose and 14 fell in value.
Block Market Activity
In the block market, 19 companies exchanged 25 lakh shares worth Tk 9.50 crore. Beach Hatchery Limited led these transactions, selling 2.37 lakh shares for Tk 2.34 crore—the highest value transaction of the day.
Top Gainers and Losers
Energypac Power Generation PLC topped the list of gainers, with its share price increasing by 9.70% in a single trading day. On the other hand, Anlima Yarn Dyeing Limited saw the highest decline, dropping by 5.86%.
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Dividend Announcements and Category Changes
Grameenphone, a leading telecom company, has announced a 170% face-value dividend for investors. The company’s annual general meeting is scheduled for 23 April this year. According to its 2024 financial report, Grameenphone’s earnings per share stood at Tk 26.89. As per regulations, the circuit breaker for the company’s shares was lifted on Tuesday following the dividend announcement.
DSE has decided to downgrade Beacon Pharmaceuticals Limited and Rahima Food Corporation Limited to the Z category due to failure to distribute dividends within the stipulated time. Despite announcing dividends of 20% and 10%, respectively, in 2024, both companies missed the deadline.
Similarly, Bangladesh Building Systems PLC, a B-category company, declared a 0.50% dividend but failed to meet the deadline, leading to its relegation to the Z category. The DSE has instructed merchant banks and brokerage houses not to provide any loans to investors for purchasing shares of these newly downgraded companies.
Dividend Distribution by Five Companies
Five DSE-listed companies have distributed previously declared dividends to investors. Pharma Aids led with a 25% dividend, followed by Rangpur Foundry Limited at 23%, Lovello Ice Cream at 10%, Agni Systems Limited at 4.80%, and GQ Ball Pen Limited at 3%.
Sector-wise Market Performance
The paper and printing sector performed the best, with a 2.59% increase in share prices. All six listed companies in this sector saw price gains.
DSE index declines while CSE sees gains in first hour
Conversely, the cement sector faced a decline, losing 1.27% in value. Out of seven companies in this sector, five saw price drops, while only two recorded gains.
CSE Performance
Similar to the DSE, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also experienced an index gain, with the overall index increasing by 30 points. Of the 196 companies traded, 80 saw price increases, 83 declined, and 33 remained unchanged.
The top gainer in the CSE was Khulna Printing & Packaging Company, with a 9.97% rise, whereas Evince Textile Limited suffered the biggest loss, falling by 9.90%.
While the DSE saw an increase in total turnover by Tk 13 crore from the previous session, reaching Tk 444 crore, CSE’s turnover declined to Tk 3.94 crore from the previous Tk 4.23 crore.