KATHMANDU, April 11: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index increased by 55.59 points (2 percent) last week amid high volatility in the secondary market following the formation of a new government.
It was the first time trading took place on a Friday during the weekdays. Citing possible disruptions in petroleum supply due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the government declared a two-day weekend (Saturday and Sunday), allowing the market to operate fully on Friday.
Nepse corrects slightly after four straight weeks of gain
During the review period, the market indices of 11 out of 13 sectors increased. The manufacturing and processing sector recorded the highest gain, with its index rising by 902.15 points (8.40 percent). Among the two losing sectors, the trading index posted the largest decline of 115.93 points (2.96 percent), followed by the ‘others’ index, which fell by 23.82 points (1.10 percent).
Despite the rise in the NEPSE index, the average daily turnover declined to Rs 9.546 billion from over Rs 12 billion in the previous week. Among individual companies, Hotel Forest Inn recorded the highest gain, with its market price increasing by 77.10 percent.
The market capitalisation increased to Rs 4.824 trillion from Rs 4.730 trillion, resulting in capital gains of over Rs 945 billion in investors’ portfolios. Overall, market capitalisation rose by two percent.
