Turnover at Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) dropped to less than Tk 1,000 crore yesterday after two months although the index went up. 

The DSEX, the DSE's benchmark index, edged up 50 points, or 0.78 per cent, to 6,500 points yesterday.

The DS30, the index that consists of blue-chip companies, advanced 0.26 per cent to 2,316 points, while the DSES, the Shariah-complaint index, rose 0.92 per cent to 1,428 points.

Some big investors who mainly trade companies with low performance records were active in the market, said a stockbroker preferring anonymity.

In order to sell off their shares they are spreading rumours that the stocks of companies with performances which are less than satisfactory will rise, which prompted general investors to buying the stocks, he said.

As a result, these stocks rose on the bourses. But companies with good performance records are still suffering from either having lower prices or no buyers, he added.

The Dhaka stocks returned to the black after two sessions of profit-booking sales pressure amidst an enthusiastic participation of investors on sector specific stocks, according to the daily market review of International Leasing Securities.

After the last two sessions' corrections, bargain hunters revealed their buying interest from the opening of the session which continued till the end of the trading day.

The gainers were larger in number as out of a total of 366 issues to undergo trade, 137 advanced, 32 declined, and 197 remained unchanged.

All the sectors achieved price appreciations such as jute which rose 6.6 per cent, except for banks that dropped 0.1 per cent.

According to the turnover, investors' focus was mainly on pharmaceuticals (25 per cent), miscellaneous (15.6 per cent) and engineering (14.3 per cent) sectors.

The Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa topped the gainers' list, advancing 12 per cent. The Peninsula Chittagong, Hakkani Paper and Pulp Mills, Information Services Network and Aftab Automobiles also rose over 9 per cent.

Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company suffered the highest correction, sliding down almost 8 per cent. Kohinoor Chemical Company, Olympic Industries, National Housing Finance and Investments, and Monno Agro & General Machinery also decline by more than 2 per cent.

The Caspi, the all-share price index of Chattogram Stock Exchange, rose 110 points, or 0.57 per cent, to end at 19,121.

Of the issues that were traded on the bourse in the port city, 99 advanced, 28 declined, and 105 did not show any price movement.