KATHMANDU, June 27: Buying pressure, though relatively muted, helped the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index rise by 5.78 points or 0.62 per cent week-on-week to rest at 930.38 points, from June 21 to 25.

The benchmark index that had opened at 924.6 points on Sunday had shed 6.63 points by the day’s closing. The local bourse was northbound for the rest of the trading week, adding 4.5 points, 3.62 points, 2.04 points and 2.25 points on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Altogether 2.77 million units of shares of 170 companies worth Rs 1.06 billion were traded through 7,435 transactions in the trading week. The traded amount was 7.85 per cent more compared to the preceding week when 2.89 million scrips of 151 companies worth Rs 985.72 million were traded in 7,058 transactions.

The sensitive index, which gauges the performance of class ‘A’ stocks, gained 1.29 points to rise to 199 points. Similarly, the float index that measures the performance of shares actually traded inched up by 0.28 points to 66.34 points during the review period.

While trading continued to remain constant at 220.54 points, manufacturing, hotels and development banks recorded minimal losses. Rest of the subgroups witnessed gains.

Reversing the previous week’s dive, the insurance subgroup surged by 97.17 points to land at 3,903.21 points. National Life’s share value went up by Rs 48 to Rs 1,740, Shikhar Life’s by Rs 64 to Rs 674 and Surya Life’s by Rs 38 to Rs 591.

Nepal Telecom’s shares gained four rupees to close at Rs 615, which helped the others subgroup add 4.7 points to end at 722.53 points.

Banking, the subgroup with the highest stake in the market capitalisation of Nepse, increased by 4.46 points to 816.4 points. Standard Chartered’s scrips gained Rs 10 to be valued at Rs 1,885 and Himalayan Bank’s by nine rupees to Rs 805.

Finance and hydropower subgroups inched up by a minimal 1.94 points to 519.08 points and 1.49 points to 2,101.56 points, respectively.

Himalayan Distillery’s share value declining by Rs 24 to Rs 594 weighed on the manufacturing subgroup. The sub-index dropped 5.58 points to 1,564.7 points.

Even as Soaltee’s scrips went up by seven rupees to Rs 418, Oriental’s was down six rupees to Rs 610. Consequently, the hotels subgroup retreated by 2.24 points to 1,839.36 points.

Development banks dipped by 1.68 points to 766.65 points.

Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank was the forerunner in terms of turnover with Rs 88.29 million. Nepal Life Insurance with Rs 63.53 million, Chilime Hydropower with Rs 50.97 million, Lumbini Bank with Rs 43.23 million and Global IME Bank with Rs 40.01 million rounded up the top five spots in this category.

Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank took the lead in terms of transactions as well, with 493 deals. Meanwhile, Nabil Balanced Fund-I secured the top spot with regards to number of shares traded with 221,000 of its scrips changing hands.