The Hotels and Tourism Index witnessed the steepest decline in the stock market on Thursday, falling by 117.71 points (1.42%) to close at 8,140.53. The sector had already recorded a significant drop of 199.74 points in the previous trading session, indicating continued downward pressure.
The index opened at 8,269.58 and remained at the same level for its intraday high, while dropping to a low of 8,107.90 during the day’s trading.
Overall Market Also Ends in Red
The broader benchmark index of the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) also closed in negative territory, declining by 17.01 points (0.60%) to settle at 2,787.15. This follows a marginal loss of 2.95 points in the previous session, suggesting a continued bearish trend in the market. NEPSE opened at 2,806.53 and reached an intraday high of 2,817.10 before dipping to a low of 2,779.86.
Trading Activity and Market Performance
Despite the decline in indices, trading activity remained relatively strong. The total turnover for the day stood at Rs. 5.09 Arba, with a total of 11,375,699 shares traded. A total of 348 companies were involved in trading through 93,907 transactions, reflecting active participation from investors. The total market capitalization reached Rs. 47.53 Kharba, while the float market capitalization stood at Rs. 15.80 Kharba.
Sector-Wise Performance
Among the various sectors, Manufacturing and Processing emerged as the top performer of the day, posting a modest gain of 0.60%. In contrast, the Hotels and Tourism Index recorded the highest loss among all sectors, continuing its downward trend and weighing heavily on overall market performance.
Analysts suggest that the continued decline in the hospitality sector may reflect investor concerns over short-term performance, despite ongoing growth in Nepal’s tourism industry. Meanwhile, the broader market movement indicates cautious sentiment among investors, as fluctuations persist across key sectors.
