Mutual funds emerged as the strongest-performing segment on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) on Wednesday, helping to limit a broader market downturn as share prices fell across most sectors.

Although mutual funds posted notable gains, their strong performance was not enough to prevent losses in the market’s key indices. However, they played a significant role in cushioning what could have been a steeper decline.

Market data showed that mutual funds dominated early trading, with several funds hitting the upper price limit shortly after the market opened. Their momentum continued throughout the session, but widespread losses in other sectors pushed the overall market lower.

At the close of trading, prices of 100 listed securities and units advanced on the DSE, while 245 declined and 44 remained unchanged. In the mutual fund segment, 29 funds gained, one declined, and four remained unchanged.

The benchmark DSEX index fell 27 points to close at 5,871. The DS30 index, which tracks blue-chip companies, dropped 3 points to 2,216, while the DSE Shariah Index lost 4 points to settle at 1,199.

Despite the decline in indices, turnover on the DSE increased to Tk 1,211.13 crore, up from Tk 1,129.39 crore in the previous trading session.

On the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), the overall CASPI index slipped 20 points despite a majority of stocks posting gains. Of the 251 issues traded, 117 advanced, 108 declined, and 26 remained unchanged. Turnover on the CSE fell to Tk 16.86 crore, compared with Tk 19.02 crore in the previous session.