Kathmandu, February 4

Investors continue to flock to the only secondary market as lack of profitable investment avenues coupled with low bank rates have made investing in stocks an attractive venture at present.

Consecutively, the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index clocked a gain of 0.75 per cent or 9.29 points to breach the threshold of 1,250 points and record a fresh all-time high of 1,251.42 points today.

The benchmark index has been northbound throughout the trading week, also on positive political cues.

While trading remained constant at 201.38 points, finance was the only subgroup to book a loss of 0.32 per cent to land at 601.63 points.

The rise today was led by the hydropower sector, with the subgroup rising 1.94 per cent to 2,179.06 points, on the back of Ridi’s share value surging by Rs 38 to Rs 427, Chilime’s up nine rupees to Rs 1,290, and Sanima Mai up Rs 10 to Rs 875, among others.

Development banks trailed closed behind with the sub-index advancing 1.87 per cent to 1,294.06 points. First Microfinance Development Bank soared by Rs 45 to Rs 1,145, Chhimek rose by Rs 20 to Rs 1,985, and Biratlaxmi went up by Rs 23 to Rs 421.

With stock price of Unilever Nepal rising by Rs 530 to Rs 27,037, the manufacturing subgroup went up 1.45 per cent to 1,922.86 points.

Nepal Telecom’s share value edged up by six rupees to Rs 691, which in turn nudged the others subgroup up 0.88 per cent to 811.80 points.

Banking inched up 0.43 per cent to 1,137.52 points, hotels was up 0.24 per cent to 1,771.43 points and insurance up 0.71 per cent to 5,466.46 points.

Altogether, 1,140,895 shares of 124 companies that amounted to Rs 709.18 million changed hands through 3,365 transactions today.

The sensitive index was up 0.72 per cent to 269.52 points and the float index also inched up 0.7 per cent to 89.65 points.