B Mirror Report: Stocks witnessed a mixed trading session today as investors remained cautious ahead of upcoming corporate earnings announcements for the recently ended quarter, while also closely monitoring developments surrounding ceasefire talks in the Middle East.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), edged up by 1.8 points or 0.03% to settle at 5,257 points, compared to 5,255 points in the previous session.

Market indices remained volatile throughout much of the session, with selective buying from opportunistic investors driving short-term gains in speculative and momentum-driven stocks. However, persistent selling pressure in large-cap securities limited overall market momentum, resulting in a largely flat close.

Despite the subdued movement in indices, market turnover remained relatively strong, though it declined slightly by 3.6% to Tk 8.1 billion from Tk 8.4 billion in the previous session.

Sector-wise, Engineering led turnover with 16.4%, followed by Pharmaceuticals at 12.0% and Textiles at 11.3%.

Most sectors posted mixed performance. IT (1.3%), Tannery (1.0%), and Ceramic (0.8%) recorded the highest gains, while Paper (-1.2%), Jute (-0.9%), and Travel (-0.5%) were among the major decliners.

Out of 397 traded issues, 130 advanced, 196 declined, and 70 remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also ended on a positive note, although its indices showed marginal movement. The Selective Categories’ Index (CSCX) and All Share Price Index (CASPI) declined by 2.2 points and 4.9 points respectively.