KATHMANDU: Continuing its downward trend from last week, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) closed lower on Monday, the first trading day of the week.

The NEPSE index dropped by 16.54 points to close at 2,632.96 points. Along with the index, the total money traded in the market also fell compared to the previous day.

During the day, over 7.6 million shares of 351 companies were bought and sold, totaling a turnover of Rs 2.67 billion. It was a tough day for most investors, as the share prices of 240 companies went down, while only 29 companies saw their prices go up, and 6 remained unchanged. All 13 business sectors closed with losses, with the Non-Life Insurance sector dropping the most by 1.39%.

In terms of individual stocks, Tushar Pikhuwakhola Hydropower investors made the biggest profit as its stock price jumped by 14.99%. On the other hand, Swabhimaan Laghubitta lost the most, with its price dropping by 5.83%. Global IME Bank had the highest amount of money traded at over Rs 88 million, while Himalayan 80-20 Mutual Fund had the highest number of units traded.