Stocks on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) failed to sustain their upward momentum on Wednesday as investors opted for profit-taking and remained cautious ahead of potential changes to margin rules amid persistent macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the DSE, fell 6.3 points to settle at 5,897, compared with 5,904 in the previous trading session.

The market opened on a positive note, with buying interest continuing across several sectors until mid-session. However, broad-based selling pressure emerged later, erasing the early gains and pushing the benchmark into negative territory at the close.

Market turnover declined 3.7% to Tk 10.7 billion from Tk 11.1 billion in the previous session.

Textile stocks dominated turnover, accounting for 22.8% of total trading, followed by general insurance at 17.9% and pharmaceuticals at 8.8%.

Sectoral performance was mixed. Jute, ceramic and textile stocks posted the strongest gains, rising 2.4%, 1.3% and 1.1%, respectively.

Meanwhile, mutual funds fell 2.2%, life insurance declined 1.9% and financial institutions dropped 1.3%, exerting the strongest downward pressure on the market.

Of the 395 issues traded, 119 advanced, 229 declined and 47 remained unchanged.

In contrast, the Chattogram Stock Exchange (CSE) closed higher. Its selected index, CSCX, gained 11.4 points, while the All Share Price Index (CASPI) advanced 37.8 points.