The country's stock markets resumed trading on Tuesday following the Bengali New Year holiday, but investor sentiment remained subdued as both major bourses registered declines in key indices, with the majority of shares losing value.
At the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), all major indices dropped within the first two hours of trading. The benchmark DSEX index fell by 19 points, while the Shariah-compliant DSES declined by 6 points. The DS30 index, which tracks blue-chip companies, dropped by 11 points.
Out of the securities traded, 207 companies saw a fall in their share prices, while 114 posted gains. The prices of 74 companies remained unchanged. By midday, total turnover on the DSE had surpassed Tk 240 crore in shares and units.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) mirrored the DSE’s downturn. The overall CSE index dropped by 54 points during the first two hours of trading. Of the 135 companies that traded, prices fell for 78, rose for 35, and stayed the same for 22. The CSE recorded over Tk 3.5 crore in share and unit transactions during the session's first half.
Despite expectations of a post-holiday bounce, the market extended its losses, highlighting persistent investor caution and weak confidence in the short-term outlook.
