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Stocks on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended lower on Monday as selling pressure increased.
The DSE's prime index decreased by 8.49 points, closing at 5,196.70.
The benchmark index of the capital market failed to rebound into positive territory, despite a brief intraday rise, as investor caution lingered following concerns sparked by the US tariff announcement and resulting market uncertainty, according to EBL Securities.
The blue-chip index DS30, comprising 30 leading companies, increased by 1.37 points to 1,930.71, while the DSES Index, representing Shariah-compliant companies, decreased by 1.85 points to 1,165.97 by the close.
The market opened on a positive note, buoyed by gains in select large-cap stocks that helped resist the selling pressure from the previous session. However, the initial momentum proved short-lived, as cautious profit-taking wiped out early gains, reflecting a decline in investor confidence, EBL Securities said.
Turnover, a crucial indicator of the market, stood at Tk 4.7 billion, up 13.1 per cent from the previous trading day.
The majority of the stocks saw a price decrease, as out of the 398 issues traded, 150 closed higher, 191 ended lower, and 57 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
The pharmaceuticals sector led the turnover with a 24.9 per cent share, followed by Miscellaneous at 8.2 per cent and Food at 8.2 per cent.
Overall, sector performance remained mixed. IT 1.9 per cent, Financial Institutions 0.7 per cent, and Services 0.7 per cent posted the most notable gains, while Paper -2.1 per cent, Textile -1.2 per cent, and Mutual Funds -1.1 per cent experienced the steepest losses.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation was the most-traded stock, with shares worth Tk 332.54 million changing hands, followed by Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Shinepukur Ceramics, ACI Limited, and Square Pharmaceuticals.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) ended up with its All Share Price Index (CASPI) increasing by 0.80 points to settle at 14,562 and the Selective Categories Index (CSCX) increasing by 3.15 points to settle at 8,858.
The port city bourse traded 2.75 million shares and mutual fund units with a turnover volume of Tk 101.49 million.