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Bangladesh’s two major stock exchanges closed in the red on Wednesday, with the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) retreating after a brief early rise, and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) registering losses throughout the day.

At the DSE, the benchmark DSEX index dropped by 14 points to end the session lower. The Shariah-compliant DSES index declined by 1 point, while the DS30 index, which tracks blue-chip stocks, lost 4 points.

Out of 400 companies traded on the DSE, share prices declined for 184, rose for 154, and remained unchanged for 62. Despite the morning’s positive momentum, most stocks across the A, B, and Z categories faced selling pressure.

In the A-category segment—comprising companies with consistent dividend payouts—87 stocks posted gains, 108 declined, and 26 remained flat.

The DSE’s block market saw transactions worth Tk 290 million across 39 companies, with City Insurance contributing the highest turnover of Tk 50 million.

Total turnover on the DSE stood at Tk 8.89 billion, slightly lower than Tuesday’s Tk 9.11 billion.

Progoti Life Insurance led the gainers, climbing 9.2 percent, while Far East Islami Life Insurance was the day’s worst performer, shedding more than 5 percent.

Losses Extend to CSE

The CSE mirrored the downward trend, with its key index falling by 49 points.

Among 219 issues traded, 107 declined, 81 advanced, and 31 remained unchanged.

Turnover on the CSE increased notably to Tk 500 million, a sharp jump from the previous session’s Tk 100 million.

Eastern Cables led the gainers at the CSE with a 10 percent rise, while Hami Industries recorded the biggest drop, falling 10 percent.

Market analysts attribute the day’s downturn to cautious investor sentiment amid concerns over macroeconomic stability and earnings forecasts.