Kathmandu, August 15 Improving investor sentiment provided a much needed boost to the stock market today, with the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index surging by 2.43 per cent or 28.73 points to rest at 1,209.71 points. The country’s sole secondary market breached the threshold of 1,200 points for the first time today after retreating below the level on July 17. Seeking anonymity, one stock brokers said today’s market movement was normal considering that Nepse index had dropped significantly in the recent days. The sensitive index rose by 2.36 per cent or 5.9 points to rest at 255.40 points and the float index also gained 2.52 per cent or 2.14 points to rest at 87.14 points today. Out of 11 sub-indices, trading was the only subgroup to remain constant. The rest of the subgroups landed in the green zone. The non-life insurance sub-index led the pack of gainers, surging by 3.56 per cent or 205.64 points to land at 5,981.27 points. Likewise, development banks subgroup also rose by 2.57 per cent or 36.81 points to 1,471.86 points. Hydropower sub-index went up by 2.47 per cent or 34.53 points to 1,430.23 points. The banking subgroup also climbed by 2.46 per cent or 24.86 points to rest at 1,037.22 points. Likewise, microfinance subgroup rose by 2.34 per cent or 35.28 points to 1,543.25 points and the life insurance sub-index inclined by 2.28 per cent or 129.82 points to 5,831.71 points. The others sub-group was up by 2.08 per cent or 14.82 points to land at 726.27 points. The manufacturing subgroup ascended by 1.86 per cent or 39.23 points to 2,145.15 points and the hotels sub-index jumped by 1.58 per cent or 29.26 points to 1,877.02 points. The finance sub-index landed at 621.55 points, up 1.51 per cent or 9.23 points. Altogether 1.08 million shares of 165 companies that amounted to Rs 364 million were traded through 5,902 transactions today. Top gainers Name Last trading price Change Swarojgar Laghu Bitta Bikas Bank Rs 806 9.66% Himalayan Distillery Rs 1,450 7.97% Taragaon Regency Hotel Rs 279 7.31% Himalayan Power Partner Rs 260 6.43% Summit Mic Development Bank Rs 954 6% Top Losers Name Last trading price Change WoMi Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha Rs 1,143 -10% Arambha Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha Rs 883 -2.11% Multipurpose Finance Rs 190 -2.06% Laxmi Equity Fund Rs 7.95 -1.85% Khanikhola Hydropower Rs 106 -1.85% Source: Nepse