Kathmandu, July 20

The country’s sole secondary market welcomed the new fiscal year 2019-20 by advancing 1.92 per cent or 23.95 points in the trading week between July 14 and 18.

“Investor sentiment has been guided by the general trend of stock prices going up with the beginning of the new fiscal,” said Prakash Rajhaure, an independent share market analyst, adding that market players are also being able to get their hands on sufficient money, which has also helped in increasing the buying pressure.

However, most investors are still in wait-and-see mode for Monetary Policy for ongoing fiscal year, as per Rajhaure. While the policy was earlier scheduled to be announced on July 12, it has been postponed and the next date is yet to be disclosed.

Consequently, even as the share market snapped out of a two-week losing streak, the weekly turnover slumped by 27.8 per cent to Rs 1.90 billion compared to the previous week. In the previous week, the market witnessed turnover of Rs 2.63 billion. Likewise, the trading volume also dropped in the review week to 8.6 million shares from 11.36 million shares that had changed hands in the past week.

However, trading of mutual funds scrips soared by 240.02 per cent as compared to the previous week to Rs 30.5 million. In the previous week, mutual funds witnessed turnover of Rs 8.97 million.

Sensitive index rose by 2.05 per cent or 5.51 points to 273.84 points.

Float index went up by 2.07 per cent or 1.90 points to 93.62 points.

The benchmark index had opened at 1,248.55 points on Sunday and inched up by 0.96 point by the time of closing. After adding 5.08 points and 4.45 points on Monday and Tuesday, the local bourse recorded a hefty 15.85-point gain on Wednesday. On Thursday, however, Nepse shed 2.37 points to close the week at 1,272.50 points.

Apart from trading, which remained constant at 259.85 points for not recording any transaction, all the subgroups landed in the green zone.

The mutual fund subgroup was the biggest gainer of the week, soaring by 6.64 per cent or 0.63 point to 10.12 points.

Manufacturing sub-index advanced by 3.10 per cent or 81.92 points to 2,717.5 points on the back of share price of Shivam Cements going up by Rs 42 to Rs 630 and Unilever Nepal’s up Rs 150 to Rs 20,400.

Development banks subgroup went up by 2.60 per cent or 41.53 points to 1,636.87 points.

Close on its heels, microfinance subgroup rose by 2.52 per cent or 35.90 points to 1,460.48 points, with share price of Chhimek Laghubitta Bikas Bank up Rs 24 to Rs 974.

Hydropower sub-index ascended by 2.36 per cent or 28.07 points to 1,216.62 points. Hotels rose by 1.93 per cent or 39.21 points to 2,070.62 points. Soaltee’s share value went up by five rupees to Rs 233, that of Oriental was up Rs 10 to Rs 616, while Taragaon Regency recorded a gain of six rupees to Rs 317.

Banking subgroup also went up by 1.91 per cent or 21.62 points to 1,148.39 points. The others sub-index rose by 1.39 per cent or 9.93 points to 720.76 points and life insurance was up by 1.28 per cent or 76.81 points to 6,040.71 points.

Likewise, finance subgroup went up by 1.27 per cent or 7.89 points to 627.43 points and non-life insurance increased by 1.18 per cent or 60 points to 5,104.26 points.

In the review week, Nepal Bank was the leader in terms of weekly turnover with Rs 202.13 million. It was followed by Shivam Cements with Rs 108.04 million, Nepal Life Insurance Co with Rs 97.50 million, Nabil Bank with Rs 75.21 million and Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower with Rs 64.84 million.

In terms of weekly trading volume, NMB Sulav Investment Fund- 1 took the lead with 1,855,000 of its shares changing hands. Nepal Bank with 597,000 shares, Civil Bank with 316,000 shares, Mega Bank Nepal (Promoter Share) with 312,000 shares and Nabil Equity Fund with 258,000 shares were the other top firms in this category.

Meanwhile, Infinity Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha was the forerunner in terms of number of transactions with 2,074 deals. It was followed by Upper Tamakoshi with 1,357, Nepal Bank with 984, Shivam Cements with 869 and Mega Bank Nepal with 684 transactions.