The country’s stock markets began the last working day of the week on a positive note, with key indices at both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) edging up in the first hour of trading on Thursday.

At the DSE, the benchmark DSEX index gained 17 points, while the Shariah-based DSES rose 4 points and the blue-chip DS30 index advanced 2 points.

Out of 385 issues traded during the period, prices of 231 advanced, 70 declined, and 84 remained unchanged.

The turnover at the bourse crossed Tk 170 crore in the first hour.

A similar trend was seen at the CSE, where the overall index increased by 4 points.

Of the 101 companies traded, prices of 52 gained, 32 dropped, and 17 remained steady.

Turnover at the port city bourse stood at over Tk 3 crore during the same period.