NEPSE slips marginally with turnover of 4.57 billion rupees

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index edged lower on Monday, ending the day at 2,684.33 points after slipping 1.20 points. The benchmark traded in positive territory for most of the session but lost momentum in the final trading hour.

Despite the slight decline in the index, market activity improved significantly. Total share turnover rose to NRs 4.57 billion, up from NRs 3.75 billion recorded in the previous trading session on Friday. A total of 114.49 million shares of 349 listed securities changed hands during the day.

Monday’s decline comes after the market’s recovery on Friday with the NEPSE index rising 12.96 points to close at 2,685 points following four consecutive sessions of decline last week.

On Monday, market breadth remained negative, with 126 companies posting gains, 141 declining, and seven remaining unchanged.

Everest Color emerged as the day's top gainer, hitting the positive circuit with a 14.99% increase to close at NRs 1,505.60 per share. Saptakoshi Development Bank also recorded a strong gain of 11.77%.

On the losing side, Reliance Spinning Mills fell the most, dropping 7.40% to Rs 2,777 per share. Salpa Development Bank also declined by 4.31%.

Reliance Spinning Mills led the market in terms of turnover, with shares worth NRs 276.2 million traded during the session. Ridi Power ranked second, recording transactions worth NRs 208.2 million. Global IME Bank, Saptakoshi Development Bank, and NRN Infrastructure were also among the most actively traded stocks.

Among sectoral indices, the hydropower sector posted the largest decline, while banking, development banks, hotels and tourism, life insurance, microfinance, and non-life insurance registered modest gains. Finance, investment, manufacturing and processing, trading, and the "others" category closed lower.

The market's marginal decline followed Friday's 12.96-point gain, but the increase in trading volume suggests investor participation remained strong despite the slight pullback in the benchmark index.

Last week, the market had faced pressure throughout the week, with investor sentiment affected by unrest in eastern Nepal. Despite Friday’s recovery, the benchmark index still recorded a weekly loss of 49 points, falling from 2,734 points the previous Friday. Trading activity improved slightly, with total turnover reaching NRs 3.75 billion, compared with NRs 3.38 billion in the previous session.