Market down over investors' worry

The Nepse index (-3.82%) witnessed yet another week of depression as IPOs lured investors toward the primary market. The increase in the inter-banking lending rate has also discouraged investors from borrowing. In addition, the Maoist party´s disclosure of its nation-wide protest plans further deflated investor confidence. Signs of stability, the market exhibited last week did not last with the announcements of bonus and cash dividend from some of the major companies. 

The Commercial Banking sub-index (-5.91%) descended as major banks like Everest Bank (-Rs 320) which is experiencing post-book closure price readjustment, NIC Bank (-Rs 101) which declared 15% bonus shares, Siddhartha Bank (-Rs 88) which declared 10% cash dividend, Siddhartha Development Bank (-Rs 5) which declared 5% cash dividend, all shed prices. Losses of API Finance (-Rs 55) which started trading last week, and the post-book closure readjustment in the share price of Nepal Express Finance (-Rs70) caused losses in the Finance sub-index (-1.63%) despite Merchant Finance (+Rs 103) and General Finance (+Rs 20) efforts to recoup the losses. Swawalamban Vikas Bank´s (+Rs 28) share prices appreciated but with losses in the majority of the development banks, the sector index (-1.55%) declined. Shikhar Insurance (-Rs 6) and Lumbini General Insurance (-Rs 8) posted declines to drag the Insurance sector down (-0.49%). The ´Others´ sub-index (-0.92%) plunged as Nepal Telecom (-Rs 10) shed value. The only sector to defy the market downtrend was the Hydropower sector sub-index (+0.98%) through the appreciation of Chilime Hydropower (+Rs 32).

Among other highlights, Bank of Kathmandu (-Rs 35) declared lucrative benefits of 40% bonus shares and 7.37% cash dividend. Kumari Bank (-Rs 59) and Kist Bank (-Rs 27) closed their books for 10% bonus shares, and 3.50% cash dividend respectively on October 30 which will impact the market next week. Shree Investment Finance also closed its book for 20% bonus shares and 5.26% cash dividend on October 23. Asian Life Insurance´s IPO offering was halted on 30 October because its offer price violates the Company Act. Civil Merchant Bittiya Sanstha (+Rs 6), United Insurance, Sagarmatha Merchant and Finance (-Rs 3) are selling 730 units, 25,575 units and 40,790 units respectively of their unsubscribed right shares. The market volume (Rs 276,356,647) has strengthened; however, the current downtrend is substantiated by signals from technical analysis tools.

 REPUBLICA