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The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) climbed to a three-month high, extending its winning streak to eight straight sessions as growing investor confidence and expectations of supportive measures for capital market development sustained buying interest in undervalued stocks.
Political pledges toward capital market development and the prospect of easing geopolitical pressures continued to draw fresh accumulation into attractively valued counters.
Engineering, cement and pharma stocks led the market rally on Wednesday. Shares of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, Square Pharmaceuticals, BSRM Limited, Walton, BATBC and BSRM Steel collectively contributed around 10 points to the benchmark index's gain.
The DSEX, the benchmark index of the premier bourse, rose 35.46 points, or 0.66 per cent, to close at 5,442—its highest level in three months. The index has gained about 239 points over the past eight trading sessions.
The DS30 index, comprising leading blue-chip companies, advanced 7.35 points to 2,057, while the DSES index, which tracks Shariah-based stocks, gained 9.79 points to 1,099.
On Wednesday, market participation remained strong, with turnover on the DSE rising to Tk 12.79 billion, compared with Tk 10.8 billion in the previous session.
Gainers outnumbered losers on the DSE floor. Of the 390 issues traded, 243 closed higher and 98 ended lower, while 49 remained unchanged.
Major sectors posted positive performance except for banks. The services and insurance sector posted the highest gain of 3.7 per cent, followed by paper, financial institutions, cement and IT.
Mir Akhter Hossain Limited became the most-traded stock, with shares worth Tk 308.9 million changing hands, closely followed by ACME Pesticides Limited, Sonargaon Textiles, Dominage Steel Building Systems Limited and National Credit and Commerce Bank PLC.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange also ended higher, with its All Shares Price Index (CASPI) rising 105 points to 15,186, while the Selective Categories Index (CSCX) surged 56 points to 9,333.
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