KATHMANDU: The benchmark index of the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) posted a modest increase on the first trading day of the week. The NEPSE index rose by 4.45 points to close at 2,824.90.

According to the exchange, shares of 350 companies were traded during the day. A total of 39,549,033 shares changed hands through 124,490 transactions, resulting in a total turnover of Rs 14.32 billion.

Among the sectoral indices, the hotel and tourism group declined by 0.62 percent, the investment group fell by 0.54 percent, life insurance decreased by 0.46 percent, and the mutual fund group dropped by 0.25 percent. Meanwhile, all other sectoral indices recorded gains.

The trading sector posted the highest growth of 2.83 percent. Similarly, the banking sector increased by 0.21 percent, development banks by 0.74 percent, finance by 0.22 percent, hydropower by 0.00 percent, manufacturing and processing by 0.12 percent, microfinance by 0.15 percent, non-life insurance by 0.16 percent, and the others group by 0.03 percent.

In today’s trading, shares of Solukhola Hydropower Limited hit the positive circuit limit, while the share price of Daramkhola Hydro Energy Limited reached the negative circuit limit.

In terms of turnover and number of shares traded, Greenlife Hydropower Limited recorded the highest transaction, with shares worth Rs 810.12 million traded, totaling 2,721,980 shares.