The country’s capital markets opened on a somber note this morning (Thursday, December 18), as both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed a decline in key indices during the initial hour of trading.
The premier bourse, the Dhaka Stock Exchange, saw its broad index, DSEX, shed 17 points shortly after the opening bell. Other sub-indices also reflected the bearish sentiment:
Fell by 5 points. DS-30 (Blue-chip Index): Dropped by 8 points. Market Breath: Out of the companies traded, 217 saw their prices decline, while only 81 advanced and 86 remained unchanged. Total turnover exceeded Tk 127 crore during the first half of the session, indicating active participation despite the downward trend.
A similar pattern emerged at the Chittagong Stock Exchange, where the general index dropped by 44 points.
Price Movement: 43 companies experienced price drops, compared to 25 gainers and 11 staying neutral.
Turnover: The port city bourse recorded a relatively modest turnover of Tk 2 crore in the early trading window.
Market observers note that the broad-based decline suggests cautious behavior among investors as they rebalance portfolios amid fluctuating market conditions.
