Foreign portfolio reshuffle drives Tk 3.35b BRAC Bank block trade

A massive block transaction involving shares of BRAC Bank PLC took place on Tuesday, with 45.3 million shares worth Tk 3.35 billion changing hands on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), taking the total turnover over Tk 11 billion.

The shares were traded at negotiated prices between Tk 71.30 and Tk 74 apiece. Market operators said the deal was executed through City Brokerage Limited and was mainly linked to a strategic reshuffle among foreign investment portfolios.

According to a stockbroker involved in managing foreign portfolios, such large-scale transactions are common when global fund managers rebalance holdings among different funds under their management to meet liquidity needs or adjust investment strategies.

Block trades are privately negotiated deals conducted outside the public order book to avoid sharp price swings in the market. Under DSE rules, any trade valued at Tk 0.5 million or above qualifies as a block transaction.

As of April this year, foreign investors held 36.22 per cent of BRAC Bank shares, while sponsors and directors owned 46.17 per cent and institutional investors held 11.48 per cent.

The surge in block market activity came amid the bank’s strong financial performance. BRAC Bank recently became the first local private-sector lender to cross the Tk 20 billion profit mark, posting a record consolidated net profit of Tk 22.51 billion in 2025, up 57 per cent year-on-year.

Riding on the record earnings, the bank’s board recommended a 30 per cent dividend for shareholders, including 15 per cent cash and 15 per cent stock dividends. However, the bank's stock closed at Tk 71.90 on Tuesday, losing 0.55 per cent over the previous day.

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