Kathmandu- The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index declined on Tuesday, the third trading day of the week, closing lower by double digits despite a modest increase in trading volume. The benchmark index fell by 12.58 points to settle at 2,683.15 points, representing a decline of 0.46 percent compared to the previous trading day.
Along with the benchmark index, other indices also moved downward. The Sensitive Index dropped by 2.45 points, the Float Index declined by 0.98 points, and the Sensitive Float Index decreased marginally by 0.09 points, reflecting overall weakness across much of the market.
Trading activity, however, showed slight improvement. A total of 322 securities were traded during the session, with 18.73 million shares changing hands. The total turnover reached Rs 8.63 billion, up from Rs 8.22 billion recorded on Monday. In total, 92,338 transactions were executed during the day.
Out of the traded companies, share prices of 66 companies increased, while 190 companies saw a decline in their prices. The share prices of three companies remained unchanged. Despite the overall market decline, a few stocks posted notable gains during the session.
Kalinchowk Darshan Limited led the gainers, with its share price rising by 10 percent to close at Rs 891. Similarly, the HLI Large Cap Fund recorded a strong performance, with its share price increasing by more than 9 percent.
In terms of trading value, SY Panel Limited topped the list, with shares worth approximately Rs 592.9 million traded in a single day. Aankhukhola Hydropower Company Limited also witnessed heavy trading, with transactions exceeding Rs 410 million.
Sector-wise, mixed performance was observed. Out of the 13 subgroups, indices of three subgroups increased while those of 10 subgroups declined. The hotel and tourism subgroup performed the best, rising by 1.79 percent. The mutual fund subgroup increased by 1 percent, while the production and processing subgroup recorded a modest gain. On the downside, the finance subgroup declined the most, falling by 1.09 percent.
The widespread decline in share prices has dampened investor confidence. Market analysts say the pressure may be due to profit booking after recent gains and a wait-and-see approach by investors amid uncertainty, which has limited broader market momentum despite improved turnover.
