KATHMANDU, MAY 2

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a decline of 7.31 points or 0.36%, slipping below the 2,000 threshold to settle at 1,998.96 points by the end of the trading day.

The benchmark index, which had surged by 25 points on Wednesday, crossing the 2,000 mark, couldn't sustain the momentum and retraced below the threshold.

Accompanying the drop in the benchmark index, the sensitive index, evaluating the performance of class 'A' stocks, also witnessed a decline of 0.41%, while the float index, gauging actively traded shares, dipped by 0.45%.

Today's market predominantly bore a negative sentiment, with the exception of the microfinance and trading sectors. Notably, the microfinance sector emerged as the top gainer in the downturn, marking a substantial gain of 3.45%. Three companies within this sector - Samata Gharelu Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SAMATA), Infinity Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ILBS), and Sadhana Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SDLBSL) - saw a remarkable 10% increase in their share values. On the other hand, the trading sector experienced a modest gain of 0.06%.

Conversely, the Development Bank sector suffered the most significant losses, with a decline of 2.03%, followed by the Hydropower sector, which witnessed a 1.11% drop.

Reflecting the negative market sentiment, the daily turnover decreased to Rs 4.1 billion from Rs 4.8 billion on Wednesday. This resulted from the exchange of 9,498,298 units of shares of 308 companies in 64,181 transactions.

Today, IME Life Insurance Company Limited (ILI) dominated in terms of turnover, volume, and transactions, with 497,057 units of its shares traded for Rs 287,757,558.10 in 3,911 transactions.

The total market capitalization stood at Rs 3.169 trillion today.