NEPSE rebounds after four-day decline

KATHMANDU: The stock market rebounded on Friday, the final trading day of the week, after declining continuously for the previous four sessions.

The NEPSE index gained 12.96 points to close at 2,685 points. Despite Friday’s recovery, the benchmark index still declined by 49 points overall during the week, having stood at 2,734 points last Friday. Market analysts said the unrest in parts of the eastern Tarai had a notable impact on investor sentiment during the week.

Market turnover also improved slightly. Daily turnover increased to Rs 3.75 billion from Rs 3.38 billion recorded on Thursday.

Share prices of 180 companies advanced, while 82 declined and 13 remained unchanged. Most sectoral indices ended in positive territory, with fluctuations remaining below 1 percent.

The banking sector rose 0.72 percent, development banks 0.48 percent, finance 0.18 percent, hotels and tourism 0.48 percent, hydropower 0.69 percent, investment 0.23 percent, life insurance 0.19 percent, manufacturing and processing 0.25 percent, microfinance 0.24 percent, and the “others” group 0.93 percent. Non-life insurance and trading were the only sectors to decline, falling 0.16 percent and 0.07 percent respectively.

Everest Color posted the highest gain of the day, rising 15 percent and continuing its upward trend since listing. Joshi Hydropower gained 6.79 percent, Upper Lohorekhola 6.44 percent, Universal Power 4.32 percent, and Bikash Hydropower 3.68 percent.

On the losing side, Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) fell 5.33 percent, Kalinchowk Hydropower declined 3.55 percent, and Corporate Development Bank dropped 3.03 percent.

In terms of turnover value, Reedy Power, Global IME Bank, Central Finance, Reliance Spinning Mills, and Corporate Development Bank were the most actively traded companies.