Dhaka stocks extend gains

Equities on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) ended trading on a higher note today for the second consecutive day, driven by the positive performance of large-cap sectors.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the bourse, rose 34.89 points, or 0.64 percent, to close at 5,509.61, according to DSE data.

Other indices had mixed performances. The Shariah-based DSES increased 0.65 percent to 1,194.13, while the blue-chip DS30 dipped slightly by 0.02 percent to 2,134.43.

Turnover, a key indicator of investor activity, stood at Tk 674.13 crore, down from Tk 706.32 crore in the previous session.

"Most of the large-cap sectors posted positive performance today," said BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Ltd in its daily market update.

Block trades—high-volume transactions involving large numbers of securities—contributed 3.1 percent of the overall market turnover.

Market breadth was mixed, with 221 issues advancing against 103 declining, while 76 remained unchanged.

Among the major sectors, engineering booked the highest gain of 1.77 percent, banking recorded the second-highest gain of 0.99 percent, followed by fuel and power (0.41 percent), NBFI (0.33 percent), and food and allied (0.10 percent).

Taufika Foods and LOVELLO Ice-cream PLC were the most traded shares, with a turnover of Tk 18.7 crore, BRAC EPL said.

On the day's performance table, Crown Cement surged 9.86 percent to top the gainers' list, while Fareast Finance & Investment fell 6.67 percent, becoming the worst performer of the session.