NEPSE rises 24.5 points as trading turnover reaches NRs 4.4 billion

The stock market ended higher on Tuesday, with the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index rising 24.57 points to close at 2,651.68, supported by broad-based buying and higher trading activity.

Daily turnover climbed to NRs 4.40 billion, up from NRs 3.55 billion in the previous trading session. Investors traded more than 9.51 million shares of 352 listed securities during the day.

The market rally was widespread, with 210 companies posting gains, 57 declining, and 10 closing unchanged.

Kalanga Hydro recorded the strongest performance of the day, soaring 14.99% to NRs 516.40 per share. RBB Focus 40 also advanced sharply, gaining 13.85% to settle at NRs 10.36 per unit. In contrast, Atmanirbhar Laghubitta was the biggest loser, dropping 13.78% to NRs 5,860 per share.

The 10% KBL Debenture 2090 led trading by turnover, with transactions totaling NRs 207.5 million at NRs 1,215 per unit, despite a 0.82% decline in its price. It was followed by the 10.35% Agriculture Development Bank Debenture 2083, which recorded turnover of approximately NRs 179.2 million.

All 13 sectoral indices ended in positive territory, underscoring the market's broad strength. The Trading sector posted the biggest gain, rising 1.89%, while the Commercial Banks index climbed 1.52%, with share prices of 18 out of 19 listed commercial banks closing higher.

The benchmark index rebounded after two consecutive sessions of losses as investors positioned themselves ahead of the Nepal Rastra Bank's monetary policy announcement for the upcoming fiscal year.

In a separate development, NEPSE Chief Executive Officer Chudamani Chapagain resigned on Monday after submitting his resignation to the Ministry of Finance. The move comes amid broader leadership changes following the formation of the new government, although financial sector appointments were not directly covered by the government's recent ordinance on political appointments.