Stocks rise after govt's latest directives

Indices of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) gained today after the chief adviser issued five-point directives to strengthen the country's capital market.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus issued the directives yesterday during a meeting on the development of the capital market.

Among the measures was the offloading of government stakes in state-run and multinational companies to increase the supply of quality shares in the market.

Meanwhile, the DSEX, the benchmark index of the DSE, rose 19.27 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 4,921.55.

This marked the second consecutive session of gains, following Thursday's nearly 100-point rise.

The DSES index, which tracks Shariah-compliant stocks, added 0.15 percent to end at 1,075.89.

However, the DS30 index, comprising blue-chip stocks, declined 0.27 percent to 1,815.50.

Turnover, a key indicator of market activity, stood at Tk 364.09 crore, slightly down from Tk 366.06 crore in the previous session.

Of the 395 issues traded, 189 advanced, 160 declined, and 46 remained unchanged.

Northern Islami Insurance was the day's top gainer, surging 10 percent, while Baraka Power fell 6 percent to become the day's worst performer.