NEPSE Falls for Third Straight Day

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index fell 0.37%, or 10.50 points, on Wednesday, August 13, closing at 2,785.74, marking its third straight day of losses.

The index had dropped 0.97% on Monday and 0.92% on Tuesday, erasing last Thursday’s 0.64% gain.

The market was closed on Sunday for the Gaijatra holiday in the Kathmandu Valley.

Turnover slipped to Rs 6.16 billion from Rs 6.91 billion the previous day, while trading volume fell to 15.84 million shares across 70,099 transactions, compared to 17.67 million shares in 78,226 transactions on Tuesday.

Out of 249 traded companies, 89 advanced, 159 declined, and one remained unchanged.

All major indices ended lower: the Sensitive Index fell 0.33%, the Float Index 0.36%, and the Sensitive Float Index 0.39%.

Among 13 sectoral indices, only four recorded gains, led by the Development Bank Index, which rose 0.35%, followed by the Mutual Fund Index at 0.17%, the Finance Index at 0.04%, and the Others Index at 0.03%. The Trading Index suffered the steepest loss, dropping 1.50%, while the Banking Sub-Index fell 0.69%, Life Insurance lost 0.56%, Hotels and Tourism declined 0.54%, and the Hydropower Index slipped 0.30%.

Maya Khola Hydropower Company Limited (MKHC) led the gainers, surging 5.74% to Rs 461.13 per share, while 10.25% KBL Debenture 2086 (KBLD86) was the biggest loser, falling 9.48% to Rs 1,117 per share.

Balephi Hydropower Limited (BHL) topped turnover at Rs 341.12 million, followed by United Modi Hydropower Ltd. (UMHL) at Rs 274.74 million and Shivam Cements Ltd. (SHIVM) at Rs 240.04 million.

Wednesday’s losses pulled total market capitalization down to Rs 4,651.89 billion from Rs 4,669.42 billion the previous day.