KATHMANDU: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index increased by 7.90 points to settle at 2734.63 points. In Friday’s market, the prices of 143 companies increased, 118 companies decreased, and 15 companies remained unchanged.

Along with the NEPSE index, the turnover amount also increased on Friday. While transactions worth Rs 4.67 billion took place on Thursday, shares worth Rs 6.26 billion were bought and sold on Friday. The most traded companies on Friday included Ridi Power Company, NRN Infrastructure and Development, Kumari Bank, Ankhu Khola Jalvidhyut Company, and Reliance Spinning Mills.

The banking group rose the most by 1.17 percent. Similarly, development banks increased by 0.96 percent, hotels and tourism by 0.42 percent, life insurance by 0.13 percent, microfinance by 0.36 percent, and non-life insurance by 0.02 percent. Trading decreased by 0.35 percent, others by 0.26 percent, manufacturing and processing by 0.59 percent, hydropower by 0.12 percent, and finance by 0.15 percent.

The share price of Everest Color Company rose by 15 percent. Similarly, the share price of Sagarmatha Jalvidhyut Company increased by 6.59 percent, Khanikhola Hydropower by 6.00 percent, Jhapa Energy by 5.50 percent, and Daram Khola Hydro Energy by 4.68 percent. The share price of Corporate Development Bank fell by 7.38 percent, Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) by 3.00 percent, NADEP Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha by 2.89 percent, and Solu Hydropower by 2.89 percent.