Dhaka stocks gained in the last week riding on the most-weighted banking sector despite political instability in the country.

DGEN, the benchmark general index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, finished the week at 4,088.62 points, after raising 22.37 points or 0.55 percent.

The market witnessed five trading sessions as usual. Three of the five sessions of the week witnessed low participation due to countrywide road blockade and hartal.

Among those, first two sessions lost 57.41 points while the last three gained 79.78 points.

The banking sector, which accounted for more than a third of market capitalisation, dominated the week's top gainers and turnover chart with eight banks featuring in the top ten gainers' list.

Prime Bank which accelerated 14.95 percent topped the gainers' list, ultimately pulling up the market index.

“The market was fostered largely by the upward trend of the large-cap banking sector,” LankaBangla Securities said in its weekly market commentary.

“During the last week, the sector gained around 5.42 percent of market cap with a significant rise in turnover.”

All other major sectors posted losses. The fuel and power sector lost 1.63 percent, telecoms 1.06 percent, pharma 0.64 percent and non-bank financial institutions 0.35 percent.

Due to the banking sector's weight in the overall market cap, it alone led the market index upward, it said.

Daily average turnover declined 16.59 percent to Tk 192 crore, compared to the previous week.

Of the 282 issues that traded on the DSE, 84 advanced, 84 declined and 14 remained unchanged.

Envoy Textiles featured in the most traded stocks' chart with 1.8 crore shares worth Tk 104 crore changing hands.

Generation Next Fashions and United Airways were the next popular stocks of the week. Jamuna Oil was the worst loser, slumping 29.49 percent.

News: The Daily Star/Bangladesh/16th-Dec-12