Stocks tumble over 3% last week

Stocks at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) plunged last week, dragged down by five consecutive days of losses, with only the final trading session showing a rebound.

The benchmark DSEX index shed 147 points, or 3.08 percent, to close the week at 4,638. This follows a gain of just 4 points in the previous week, signalling continued investor concerns.

The blue-chip DS30 index, which tracks 30 leading companies, dropped 47 points to 1,730. The DSES index, representing Shariah-compliant stocks, declined by 36 points to 1,011, according to DSE data.

Turnover remained subdued throughout the week, as total turnover on the prime bourse slipped to Tk 1,581 crore, down from Tk 1,722 crore a week earlier.

The average daily turnover stood at Tk 263 crore, marking an 8 percent drop from the previous week's Tk 288 crore.

Investor activity was concentrated in a few sectors. The banking sector led the way, accounting for 18 percent of total weekly turnover, followed by food and pharmaceuticals, each contributing 11 percent.

Market breadth remained negative. Of the issues traded, 303 declined, 68 advanced, and 24 remained unchanged.

Midland Bank emerged as the week's most-traded stock, with shares worth Tk 70.8 crore changing hands. It was followed by Beach Hatchery, Shinepukur Ceramic, Fine Foods, and BRAC Bank.