B Mirror Report: The country’s primary stock exchange, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), continued its downward trend on Wednesday, the fourth trading day of the week, as the majority of listed companies saw declines in share and unit prices. The overall fall also led to a decrease in market indices and a drop in trading volume, extending the losing streak from the previous session.

Market analysis shows that trading began on a positive note, with most shares and units gaining value in early transactions. This initial momentum pushed the indices upward during the first hour of trading. However, shortly after the first hour, the market direction shifted. Companies that had recorded gains gradually moved into the losing column, and the downward trend persisted until the close of trading.

At the end of the session, only 108 companies posted gains, while 216 recorded losses. Meanwhile, prices of 67 companies remained unchanged.

Due to the broad decline, the benchmark DSEX index fell by 18 points to close at 5,248. The DSE-30 index, which tracks blue-chip companies, dropped by 8 points to 2,009. The Shariah-based index also slipped by 1 point to stand at 1,058.

Alongside the fall in indices, trading activity weakened. Total turnover on the DSE stood at 7.67 billion taka, down from 8.32 billion taka in the previous session a decrease of 646.1 million taka. The market had also experienced a decline in turnover on Tuesday compared to the day before.

Meanwhile, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also witnessed a downturn. Its overall index, CASPI, dropped by 14 points. Of the 200 companies that participated in trading, 69 advanced, 104 declined, and 27 remained unchanged. However, trading volume at the CSE increased to 207.2 million taka, compared to 151.7 million taka in the previous session.

The continued decline in both indices and turnover reflects cautious investor sentiment and sustained selling pressure in the market.