The country's premier bourse extended its losing streak for a third consecutive session today (26 July), as a combination of domestic energy concerns and global geopolitical instability continued to weigh heavily on investor sentiment.

The persistent downturn has significantly eroded market value, pushing the Dhaka Stock Exchange's (DSE) total market capitalisation below the psychological threshold of Tk7 lakh crore for the first time in recent weeks.

The benchmark DSEX index fell 19 points, or 0.34%, to close at 5,784. Over the past three trading sessions, the broad index has lost a cumulative 114 points, marking a sharp reversal from the bullish momentum seen the previous week.

The blue-chip DS30 index followed a similar trajectory, edging down by 6 points to close at 2,186.

The market breadth remained overwhelmingly bearish as 240 issues declined compared to 116 that managed to advance, while 33 scrips remained unchanged on the DSE floor.

Market participation also saw a notable contraction, with daily turnover dropping by 17% to stand at Tk780 crore, down from the previous session's volume.

The three-day slump has wiped out approximately Tk8,500 crore from the bourse's market valuation, dragging the total market capitalisation down to Tk6.98 lakh crore.

According to the daily market review by EBL Securities, the capital bourse remained in a corrective phase as lingering concerns over potential gas supply disruptions to industrial units and heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East kept investors cautious.

Persistent uncertainty surrounding the proposed amendments to margin lending rules further dampened sentiment, preventing investors from taking fresh positions in fundamentally strong stocks.

The trading session was volatile from the opening bell. Although investors remained active on both the buying and selling sides, a late sell-off in several large-cap stocks during the final hour dragged the indices back into negative territory.

In a rare divergence from the broader market weakness, the general insurance sector attracted renewed buying interest, driven by selective accumulation following the release of positive earnings reports from several companies, EBL Securities added.

On the sectoral front, the textile sector led trading, accounting for 19.2% of the day's total turnover, followed by general insurance at 11% and pharmaceuticals at 10.4%.

Most sectors ended in negative territory, with mutual funds suffering the sharpest decline of 2.2%, followed by ceramics and financial institutions.

In contrast, general insurance was the best-performing sector, gaining 2.9%, while the services and food sectors also posted modest gains.

Among individual stocks, Bangladesh National Insurance topped the gainers with a 9.96% surge, followed by ML Dyeing, BD Thai Food and Aamra Technologies.

CAPM IBBL Mutual Fund was the day's biggest loser, plunging 9.02%, followed by Fareast Life Insurance, Meghna Pet and National Housing.

The bearish sentiment was even more pronounced at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), where the Selective Categories' Index (CSCX) dropped by 91 points to close at 9,444 and the broad CASPI index plunged by 141 points to settle at 15,478.

Trading activity at the port city bourse saw a catastrophic decline, with turnover plummeting by 74% to reach a meagre Tk5.15 crore.