KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 30

Continuing the trend of setting a new record every day, the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index jumped 1.46 per cent or 28.79 points today, edging closer to the threshold of 2,000 points.

Opening at 1,968.27 points, the benchmark index had scaled as high as 2,027.48 points in intra-day trade, but finally rested at 1,997.05 points — a new record nonetheless.

With the country’s sole secondary market on a bull run, investors’ activities have also gone up significantly.

Consequently, 25.19 million shares of 198 companies changed hands through 83,567 transactions that amounted to Rs 8.87 billion.

The daily turnover, however, was lower than yesterday when Rs 9.23 billion had been traded through 80,271 transactions of 25.94 million shares of 200 listed firms.

The sensitive index, which measures the performance of class ‘A’ stocks, edged up 0.42 per cent or 1.63 points to 385.56 points. The float index that gauges the performance of shares actually traded also rose by 1.13 per cent or 1.52 points to 136.35 points.

While eight subgroups recorded gains today, four landed in the red.

Life insurance subgroup led the pack of gainers with a surge of 7.34 per cent or 823.35 points to 12,039.38 points. Trading also saw significant action, with the sub-index soaring by 6.61 per cent or 151.07 points to 2,436.01 points. Hydropower rose by 5.93 per cent or 89.23 points to 1,593.69 points.

On the other hand, development banks slumped by 2.08 per cent or 48.14 points to 2,269.97 points. It was followed by mutual funds, which fell by 1.1 per cent or 0.13 point to 11.60 points.

The loss of finance and banking subgroups were limited below one per cent.

United Modi Hydropower Ltd was the top gainer of the day, with its share price surging by the daily limit of 10 per cent to close at Rs 176.

Conversely, Bishal Bazar Company’s stock price plunged by the daily limit of 10 per cent to rest at Rs 3,240.

Among the listed companies, Nepal Life Insurance Co topped in terms of daily turnover with Rs 384.89 million. Nepal Bangladesh Bank had the most number of shares traded — 1.06 million. Prabhu Bank had most number of transactions — 3,403.