United News of Bangladesh

The country’s bourses saw a positive start on Sunday (November 30) as key indices in both Dhaka and Chattogram moved up during the first hour of trading, with most companies posting gains. At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index rose by 3 points in early trading. While the Shariah-based DSES index remained unchanged, the blue-chip DS30 index slipped by 1 point. Read more: DSE rebounds; index tops 5,000 after 20-day dip During the opening hour, prices increased for 162 issues, fell for 137, and remained unchanged for 67. The turnover crossed Tk 240 crore at the DSE. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also opened higher, with its overall index gaining 33 points. Of the 103 companies traded, 46 advanced, 45 declined, and 12 remained unchanged. The turnover at the CSE exceeded Tk 5 crore in the first hour. Read more: Share Market Investment Guide: How to Invest in Stocks in Bangladesh

Trading on the country’s two major stock exchanges began on a positive note on Tuesday (November 18), with key indices posting significant gains in the first hour. At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index advanced by 82 points in early trading. The Shariah-based DSES gained 19 points, while the blue-chip DS30 index rose by 26 points. Of the 346 issues traded during the first hour, prices increased for most securities: 346 advanced, 11 declined, and 13 remained unchanged. Read more: Trading of five Sharia banks halted at Bangladesh’s stock market The turnover at the DSE exceeded Tk 240 crore during the period. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also saw an upbeat start, with its overall index climbing 85 points. Among the 106 issues traded, 85 recorded price increases, 12 declined, and 9 remained unchanged. The turnover at the CSE crossed Tk 5 crore in the first hour of trading. Read more: DSE opens week with fresh decline

The stock markets in Dhaka and Chattogram struggled to gain momentum on Monday, as turnover and most company prices slipped despite an upturn in key indices. At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the benchmark DSEX index gained 6 points, while the blue-chip DS30 index advanced 5 points. The Shariah-based DSES index, however, remained unchanged. Out of 402 issues traded, prices fell for 199 companies, rose for 117, and remained unchanged for 86. In all three categories — A, B, and Z — most issues ended lower. Notably, among the highest dividend-paying A-category firms, prices dropped for 109 companies against gains by 72, while 43 remained unchanged. At the block market, shares of 30 companies worth Tk 43 crore changed hands, with Khan Brothers leading the turnover at Tk 15 crore. Overall daily turnover at the DSE stood at Tk 706 crore, down from Tk 732 crore in the previous session. Rupali Bank PLC topped the gainers’ list with over 9 percent rise, while Prime Finance and Investment plunged more than 7 percent to end as the day’s worst loser. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also closed higher, with its CASPI index edging up by 6 points. But most issues declined at the port city bourse as well. Of the 219 companies traded, 116 lost prices, 70 advanced, and 33 remained unchanged. The turnover at the CSE dropped sharply to Tk 8.5 crore from Tk 12 crore in the previous session. Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO) led the gainers’ table with more than 9 percent rise, while Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) slumped over 10 percent to finish at the bottom.

The U.S. stock market's downturn deepened on Monday as Wall Street speculated on how much economic strain President Donald Trump is willing to endure through tariffs and other policies to achieve his objectives. The S&P 500 fell 2.7%, bringing it nearly 9% below its all-time high set just last month. At one point, it was down 3.6%, heading for its worst day since 2022—when soaring inflation strained budgets and fuelled concerns about a recession that ultimately did not materialise. Bangladesh Bank halts exchange of new notes for Eid The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 890 points, or 2.1%, after recovering from an earlier loss of over 1,100 points, while the Nasdaq composite tumbled 4%. This marked the worst day yet in a volatile period where the S&P 500 has fluctuated by more than 1% in seven of the past eight sessions due to Trump's unpredictable tariff policies. The concern is that these sharp swings could either directly harm the economy or create enough uncertainty to push U.S. companies and consumers into economic stagnation. Signs of economic weakening have already emerged, primarily through surveys reflecting growing pessimism. Additionally, a widely monitored set of real-time indicators compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta suggests the U.S. economy may already be contracting. Asked over the weekend whether he foresaw a recession in 2025, Trump told Fox News Channel: "I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing." He then added, "It takes a little time. It takes a little time." Trump aims to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., citing this as one of the reasons for his tariff policies. His Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has also indicated that the economy may undergo a "detox" period as it adjusts to reduced government spending. The White House is seeking to curb federal expenditures, cut the federal workforce, and increase deportations—moves that could impact the labour market. For now, the U.S. job market remains stable, and the economy ended last year on solid footing. However, economists are lowering their growth projections for this year. Goldman Sachs' David Mericle, for example, has reduced his estimate for U.S. economic growth in 2025 from 2.2% to 1.7%, largely due to the expectation that tariffs will be more extensive than previously forecasted. He sees a one-in-five chance of a recession within the next year, raising the probability only slightly because "the White House has the option to pull back policy changes" if economic risks "begin to look more serious." "Multiple forces are always at play in the market, but right now, almost all of them are secondary to tariffs," said Chris Larkin, managing director for trading and investing at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. In response to the market decline, White House spokesman Kush Desai pointed out that numerous companies have responded to Trump's "America First" economic agenda with "trillions in investment commitments that will create thousands of jobs." On Monday, Trump met with tech industry CEOs, though the meeting was closed to the media. Remittance inflow surges amid forex reserve crisis The turbulence on Wall Street has been particularly damaging to some of its biggest players. Big Tech stocks and firms that benefited from the recent artificial intelligence boom have experienced sharp declines. Nvidia dropped another 5.1% on Monday, bringing its year-to-date loss to over 20%—a stark contrast to its nearly 820% surge over 2023 and 2024. Elon Musk's Tesla plummeted 15.4%, extending its 2025 decline to 45%. Initially, Tesla saw a post-election boost due to expectations that Musk's close ties with Trump would benefit the company. However, the stock has since slumped amid concerns that Musk’s brand has become too closely linked with the administration. Protests against the U.S. government's workforce reduction efforts and other policies have even targeted Tesla dealerships. Companies reliant on strong consumer confidence also took significant hits. Cruise operator Carnival fell 7.6%, while United Airlines dropped 6.3%. The sell-off has not been limited to stocks. Investors have also pulled back from other assets that previously seemed unstoppable, such as bitcoin. The cryptocurrency's value has fallen below $80,000, down from over $106,000 in December. Instead, investors have sought refuge in U.S. Treasury bonds, which are perceived as more stable during economic uncertainty. This has driven Treasury prices sharply higher, pushing down their yields. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell again to 4.22% from 4.32% on Friday. Since January, when it neared 4.80%, yields have steadily declined as economic concerns have mounted—a significant shift for the bond market. Despite the uncertainty, Wall Street dealmaking has continued. Redfin's stock soared 67.9% after Rocket announced it would acquire the digital real estate brokerage in an all-stock deal valued at $1.75 billion. However, Rocket's stock fell 15.3%. ServiceNow declined 7.9% after the AI platform company revealed plans to acquire AI-assistant maker Moveworks for $2.85 billion in cash and stock. Overall, the S&P 500 lost 155.64 points to close at 5,614.56. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 890.01 points to 41,911.71, while the Nasdaq composite fell 727.90 points to 17,468.32. Global markets also felt the impact, with European indexes largely declining after a mixed session in Asia. Hong Kong’s index dropped 1.8%, and Shanghai’s edged down 0.2% after China reported a decline in consumer prices for the first time in 13 months. This was the latest sign of weakness in the world’s second-largest economy, where persistently weak demand was compounded by the early timing of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Despite starting the day on a positive note, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended Tuesday's trading session with a slight decline in its key index, DSEX, which dropped by 1 point compared to the previous day. In the first hour of trading, the DSEX index rose to 5,191 points. But the momentum could not be sustained and the index had fallen to 5,150 points by the close of trading. The decline was also reflected in the blue-chip index, DS30, which decreased by 1 point. The Shariah-compliant DSES index, however, showed a slight improvement, gaining 1 point to reach 1,904 points. Stock Market falls in both Dhaka and Chattogram The day's turnover also saw a drop, with a total transaction value of Tk 351 crore. This marks a decline of Tk 46 crore from the previous day, as 1.29 lakh shares worth Tk 13.5 crore changed hands during the session. Despite the fall in indices, the prices of 181 companies rose, while 131 witnessed a decline, and 84 remained unchanged. The downward trend persisted in the SME sector of the DSE, with the SME index falling by 10 points. But turnover in this segment increased by Tk 2 crore compared to the previous day, totalling Tk 6.9 crore. Similarly, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also experienced a downturn. The CSCX index fell by 9 points at the end of trading. A total of 72 companies saw price declines, 85 gained, and 30 remained unchanged on the CSE. While the markets experienced mixed outcomes, investor sentiment remains cautious amid fluctuating turnover and index movements.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) experienced a slight reduction in trading volume on Monday, the first working day of the week after the Durga Puja holiday, as the prices of most companies fell. Out of 396 companies traded, the prices of 225 declined, 119 increased, while 52 remained unchanged. By the close of trading, the benchmark index DSEX had dropped by 48.51 points, settling at 5,373 points. The DSES Shariah Index saw a decrease of 14.29 points, ending at 1,191.57, and the DS30 Blue Chip Index fell by 15 points to close at 1,969.52. Dhaka Stock Exchange opens lower after Durga Puja holiday The total transaction volume at DSE amounted to Tk 350.73 crore, marking a 6.87% decline from the previous trading day last Wednesday, when the turnover stood at Tk 376.60 crore. Over at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), the CASPI index recorded a marginal drop of 0.26 points, closing at 15,094.79 points. A total of 192 companies were traded, with 84 seeing price increases, 85 experiencing declines, and 23 remaining unchanged. The total value of shares and units traded at the CSE was Tk 9.30 crore, up from Tk 8.31 crore on the previous trading day.  

Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) closed on a positive note on Wednesday, gaining 98 points in its broad index with a daily transaction volume of Tk 376.60 crore, marking an increase from the previous day's turnover. The DSE Broad Index rose by 98 points to close at 5,422 points, while the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) increased by 18 points, reaching 1,205 points. The DSE-30 Index, which tracks the top 30 companies, gained 45 points, closing at 2,198 points. Of the 396 companies and mutual funds traded, 327 saw their share prices increase, 37 declined, and 32 remained unchanged, reflecting overall positive market sentiment. Read: DSEX climbs by 26.99 points as majority of listed companies show gains The daily turnover on the DSE amounted to Tk 376.60 crore, an increase of Tk 21.23 crore compared to the previous day’s transaction of Tk 355.37 crore. On the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), the CASPI Index gained 173 points, closing at 15,135 points. A total of 204 companies participated in the day’s trading, with 125 seeing price increases, 53 experiencing declines, and 26 remaining unchanged. The CSE recorded a turnover of Tk 8.31 crore, down from the previous day’s transaction of Tk 11.32 crore. Read more: DSEX drops by 43 points as prices of 288 companies fall, Chittagong Stock Exchange follows suit

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the country’s primary capital market, witnessed an upward trend in trading on Wednesday, the last working day of the week. After a difficult session on Tuesday, where all indices posted losses, the market bounced back strongly. In the first hour of trading, shares of 225 companies advanced, 76 declined, and 78 remained unchanged, according to data from the DSE. This early momentum helped boost all major indices. Dhaka Stock Exchange investors demand BSEC Chairman’s resignation amid market instability As of 11:30 am, the DSEX, the main index, had risen by 26.99 points, reaching 5,350.21. The DSES Shariah index saw a gain of 7.76 points, standing at 1,195.5, while the DS30, which tracks blue-chip companies, climbed by 9.59 points to 1,948.8. Trading began at 10 am, and sources confirmed a rise in the volume of shares being traded as the market opened on an optimistic note.

Jeff Bezos filed a statement with federal regulators indicating his sale of nearly 12 million shares of Amazon stock worth more than $2 billion. The Amazon executive chairman notified the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of the sale of 11,997,698 shares of common stock on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. The collective value of the shares of Amazon, which is based in Seattle where he founded the company in a garage about three decades ago, was more than $2.04 billion, according to the listed price totals. Read: US-Bangla Airlines welcomes first Airbus, another Boeing to expanding fleet  The stocks were grouped in five blocks between 1 million and more than 3.2 million. In a separate SEC filing, Bezos listed the proposed sale of 50 million Amazon shares around Feb. 7 with an estimated market value of $8.4 billion. Bezos stepped down as Amazon's CEO in 2021 to spend more time on his other projects, including the rocket company, Blue Origin, and his philanthropy. His address on the stock filings is listed as Seattle, although he reportedly has relocated to Miami. Read more: February 2024 Amazon Prime Originals: Most-Hyped Shows, Series, and Movies

Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Tuesday ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on another possible interest rate hike amid worries about global banks. Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul advanced. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday. Oil prices declined. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index rose 0.9% on Monday after U.S., European and Japanese central banks announced measures to ease strains on the financial system, including lending more dollars if necessary. The collapse of two U.S. banks and the takeover of troubled Credit Suisse have heightened fears other lenders might crack under the strain of repeated rate hikes to cool economic activity and inflation that is near multi-decade highs. Traders expect the Fed to go ahead with another rate hike Wednesday but think it might be held to 0.25 percentage points, down from the 0.5 points previously expected. “Can the Federal Reserve really continue to hike rates in the face of a banking crisis?" Clifford Bennett of ACY Securities said in a report. “There are ongoing stresses in the banking system that will only grow with further rate hikes.” The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4% to 3,246.88 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 0.9% to 19,175.92. The Kospi in Seoul rose 0.4% to 2,387.52 and Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 surged 0.8% to 6,955.40. New Zealand declined while Southeast Asian markets rose. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose to 3,951.57. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.2% to 32,244.58. The Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to 11,675.54. Swiss regulators arranged Sunday for UBS to acquire rival Credit Suisse for almost $3.25 billion. Credit Suisse has been battling a unique set of problems for years, but they came to a head last week as its stock price tumbled to a record low. Attention in the United States has focused on smaller and mid-sized banks. The surge in the Fed's benchmark lending rate to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, up from close to zero at the start of last year, caused prices of bonds and other assets on banks' books to fall, raising concern about their financial health. First Republic Bank has been at the center of investors’ crosshairs in the hunt for the industry’s next victim. Its shares fell 47.1% after S&P Global Ratings cut its credit rating for the second time in a week. S&P said it could lower the rating even further despite a group of the biggest U.S. banks announcing last week they would deposit $30 billion in a sign of faith in First Republic. New York Community Bancorp jumped 31.7% after it agreed to buy much of Signature Bank in a $2.7 billion deal. Signature Bank became the industry’s third-largest failure earlier this month. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude lost 56 cents to $67.26 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 90 cents on Monday to $67.64. Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, declined 59 cents to $73.20 per barrel in London. It gained 82 cents the previous session to $73.79. The dollar rose to 131.39 yen from Monday's 131.32 yen. The euro declined to $1.0713 from $1.0724.