By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, July 15: Continuing the increasing trend, the benchmark capital market index NEPSE recorded a double digit growth of 14.90 points on Wednesday, the last trading day of the current fiscal year.

The NEPSE index opened at 1,347.45 points in the morning, increased by 1.11 per cent and reached at 1,362.34 points in the afternoon when trading closed for today.

Following fluctuations, the NEPSE index had gone as high as 1,367.80 points in today’s transaction.

The NEPSE index is showing bullish trend after the lockdown. The index is increasing continuously for the last five consecutive days.

The sensitive index which measures the performance of Group ‘A’ companies also increased by 4.06 points (1.43 per cent) to close at 288.24 points on Wednesday.

In line with the rise in NEPSE index, the volume of trade in the stock exchange is also showing increasing trend. On Wednesday, the stock exchange traded 3,212,924 unit shares worth Rs. 1.16 billion of 189 companies in 15,858 transactions.

Investors and analysts have said that there is a positive sign for further increase in the index in the coming days.

Excess liquidity in banks and financial institutions, decreasing market rate of interest on credit and entrance of stock dealers as new players in the market are likely to push the market further up, said Rajan Lamsal, general secretary of Nepal Investors Forum.

In today’s transaction, sub-indices of banking, trading, others, non-life insurance, development banks, hydropower and finance recorded increasing trend while that of hotels, life insurance manufacturing and microfinance recorded declining trend.

Banking index recorded the highest increment of 24.38 points followed by trading and others sector whose indices increased by 12.91 points and 10.73 points respectively.

Similarly, non-life insurance, development bank, hydropower and finance sectors sub-indices increased by 8.91 points, 6.92 points, 4.88 points and 2.73 points respectively.

However, sub-indices of hotels, life insurance, manufacturing and microfinance declined by 45.41 points, 43.41 points, 25.83 points and 9.8 points respectively.

Shareholders of NIC Asia Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha, Nabil Balance Fund 2, Best Finance Company, Gurans Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha and NIC Asia Balance Fund became top gainers in today’s transaction.