NEPSE ends week marginally higher amid fading trading momentum

Nepal’s stock market ended the week with a slight gain as the NEPSE index rose by 1.54 points to close at 2,788.70 on Friday after four consecutive days of fall. The previous week’s closing level stood at 2,787.15, indicating only a marginal weekly increase in the benchmark index. Despite the uptick in the index, trading activity weakened compared to the previous session and the overall week.

On Friday, total turnover fell to NRs 5.27 billion from NRs 5.95 billion on Thursday. A total of 1.21 crore shares of 351 listed companies changed hands during the day.

Market breadth remained negative, with 87 companies advancing, 168 declining, and 14 remaining unchanged. Among major gainers, Palpa Cement, Shikhar Power, and Maikhola Hydropower hit positive circuit limits, each rising 15%. On the losing side, Ncell fell 3.50% to Rs 350.30 per share, while the NAIC Asia Flexi Cap Fund dropped 3.16% to NRs 9.20 per unit.

Ridi Power recorded the highest turnover of the day at NRs 273.8 million, with its share price rising 1.26% to NRs 362. Reliance Spinning Mills was the second most actively traded stock, with Rs 249.2 million worth of shares exchanged at Rs 4,220 per share.

Out of 13 sector indices, six closed higher while seven declined. The “Others” group saw the steepest fall of 1.02%, while the trading sector posted the highest gain of 0.58%. Overall, the market ended the final trading day of the week slightly higher after four consecutive sessions of decline earlier in the week.

This week total turnover amounted to NRs 29.38 billion in five trading sessions compared to weekly turnover of NRs 36 billion in four trading sessions last week, reflecting reduced trading momentum.