Stocks in Bangladesh yesterday fell, snapping a three-day gaining streak as skittish investors went for heavy sell-offs to secure profit before their share values could decline following the recent uptick.

The DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), slipped by 0.50 percent from the previous trading session to close at 5,328.40 points.

The DSES, an index that represents shariah-compliant companies, slid by 0.30 percent to 1,180.01 points while the DS30, which consists of blue-chip stocks, decreased by 0.67 percent to 1,909.64 points.

The market closed in the red with most sectors that account for large amounts in market capitalisation posting a negative performance, according to the daily market update of BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage.

The non-bank financial institution sector registered the highest loss of 2 percent while engineering followed with 0.70 percent.

The banking sector saw a decline of 0.67 percent while food and allied shed 0.51 percent, pharmaceuticals 0.40 percent, fuel and power 1.70 percent and telecommunication 1.79 percent.

Daily turnover, which indicates the volume of trade, increased by 0.97 to Tk 712 crore.

Linde Bangladesh topped the turnover chart with a gain of 0.26 percent followed by Saif Power, City Genins and Beach Hatch, which rose by 9.91 percent, 0.35 percent and 0.79 percent respectively.

Block trades, which refer to high-volume transactions that are privately executed outside the open market, stood at Tk 296 crore, representing 41.6 percent of the day's total turnover.

Of the issues traded at the DSE, 268 edged lower, 92 remained higher and 38 did not see any change.

In its daily market update, Shanta Securities said market movement was driven by negative changes in the market cap of travel and leisure, bank and financial institution scrips amid positive changes in the market cap of telecommunication, fuel and power, services and real estate stocks.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange saw a similar trend as the CASPI, the premier index of the port city bourse, edged down by 0.14 percent to settle at 15,066.81 points.