Stocks
BSEC, NAB Lead Joint Workshop on Impact Investment in Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and the National Advisory Board (NAB) collaboratively hosted a roundtable workshop titled “Impact Investment; Bridging the Gap” at the BSEC Building on November 12, 2023 (Sunday). Dr. Sheikh Shamsuddin Ahmed, BSEC Commissioner, moderated the event, with Forhadur Reza, CEO of NAB, leading the proceedings. The honorable Chairman of BSEC, Prof Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, graced the program, alongside delegates from various national and global organizations. The workshop delved into the theoretical and global framework of impact investment, exploring its prospects, challenges, and opportunities for implementation in Bangladesh.
During the preliminary speech, Forhadur Reza, CEO of NAB, provided a conceptual overview of impact investment, stressing the necessity of collaborative efforts in Bangladesh. Prof Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, Chairman of BSEC, highlighted BSEC’s initiatives to promote impact investment, citing the recent issuance of sustainable bonds. He emphasized BSEC’s commitment to prioritizing sustainability in fund-raising projects, with a focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues. Prof Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam assured continued support from BSEC for impact investment and called for joint collaboration in this area.
Subsequent presentations were delivered by Arastoo Khan, Chairman of NAB, Fai Wechayachai from GSG, Rezaul Karim, ED of BSEC, Laura Browner, Manager of Social Financing from the Netherlands, and Erad Kawser, ED of Build Bangladesh. Topics ranged from the national strategy of impact investment to instruments, measuring and reporting impact, and BSEC’s ongoing initiatives. Presenters emphasized the need for a cohesive approach and the removal of policy limitations to make impact investment more accessible in Bangladesh.
Following the presentations, delegates shared their opinions, stressing the importance of a pragmatic approach, considering investor returns alongside social impact, and advocating for national and global collaborations to facilitate the process. In concluding remarks, Dr. Sheikh Shamsuddin Ahmed, the moderator, expressed gratitude for the shared insights. He highlighted BSEC’s commitment to impact investment, citing recent collaborations with IFC and UNDP on projects.
Reviewing the U.S. Stock Markets, the Nasdaq Composite, recorded a decent loss of 1,023 points, reaching a closing value of 16,690 points by the end of the week. Similarly, the S&P 500 index showed a positive trend, losing 240 points to settle at 5,408 points. Meanwhile, DJIA Index experienced a notable hike, adding 1,218 points during the week and concluding at 40,345 points after a week of gaining.
In contrast, Russell 3000 Index saw a loss in week performance, with a slight drop of 141 point to reach 3,077 points by the end of the week.
Moving to Russell 2000 Index, demonstrated a notable lost of 126 points, ending the week at 2,091 points.
In the Outgoing week, the European stock market displayed a mixed performance.
Here is the data on the weekly performance of the European Stock Market, The STOXX Europe 600 index, which is considered a leading benchmark for the European market and covers approximately 90 percent of the market capitalization across 17 countries, reported a loss of 18.49 points to close at 506.56.
The United Kingdom’s FTSE 100, one of the most widely followed indices in Europe, also showed a significant drop, losing 195 points or finishing the session at 8,181.
In Germany, the DAX 30 index, added by 605 points to reach 18,301, while France’s CAC 40 decreased by 278 points to stop at 7,352 at the end of the trading day.
Italy’s FTSE MIB, which covers the top 40 stocks traded on the Milan Stock Exchange, decreased by 1,081 points to 33,291. However, Spain’s IBEX 35, lost by 228 points, to close at 11,173.
A review of South Asian stock markets shows that India’s Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) index BSE Sensex has lost 1,182 points during the week. At the end of the week, the index stood at 82,365 points. On the other hand, the Nifty-50 index of the country’s National Stock Exchange dropped by 383 points last week. At the end of the week, the index stood at 24,852 points.
Pakistan Stock Exchange Index ‘KSE 100’, added 459 points last week. After a week of losing, the index settled at 79,002 points.
On the other hand, The Sri Lankan stock market index loss, and the Colombo Stock Exchange index ‘ASPI’ decreased by 94 points in a week. After a week the index settled at 10,775 points.
Bhutan’s stock market index ‘BSI’ dropped by 9 points hence the index stood at 1,500 points throughout the whole week. Nepal’s ‘NEPSE’ lost 22 points, therefore the index stands at 2,727 points.
Hence Dhaka Stock Exchange: The benchmark index ‘DSEX’ lost by 75.77 points or 1.31 percent, in the outgoing week. At the end of the week, the index stands at 5,728 points.
