As part of our regular “Ground Zero” column, we visited different broker houses around Putalisadak today to gauge investor sentiment. The mood was mixed, with some hopeful voices and others worried about the market’s slow pace.
Our first stop was Trishakti Securities (Broker No. 48) at Star Mall. Early trading hours showed a slight market improvement. Investors kept glancing at the display screens, discussing the day’s movement. One investor asked, “What’s going on with the market today? Where is this heading?”
Another quickly responded, “No matter what the market does, Sahas Urja is strong. They’re giving bonus shares and rights shares soon. This is the time to buy.” HDL’s stock was also attracting attention, with one investor predicting, “Looks like HDL could hit the circuit today. Is it just the traders’ game, or is something going on?” Others suspected good internal reports.
Several investors there were suggesting long-term positions in Sahas Urja, Universal Power, Radhi Hydropower, Sanima Bank, and Everest Bank. By noon, the market was still fluctuating slightly.
Next, we went to Premier Securities (Broker No. 32), where investors were watching the market with interest but also some frustration. One investor explained, “Big players and technical analysts haven’t entered yet, so the market can’t move up. Even bank shares are stuck. Sahas Urja hasn’t gone up much despite talk of 15% dividends and rights issue. As soon as good news comes, the market drops.”
His friend, however, remained optimistic: “Don’t worry. We’re here to invest. The market will bounce back sooner or later.” At that time, the market had about Rs 3 billion worth of trades.
At Secured Securities (Broker No. 36), HDL was once again the topic of conversation. “I heard HDL might give a 25% bonus and 10% cash dividend,” one investor said, “but who knows for sure.”
One more investor there shared a hopeful note: “Even if the market is falling now, it should recover before Dashain.”
Finally, at Primo Securities (Broker No. 16), the mood turned slightly negative again. “The problem is margin trading,” said one investor. “As soon as you buy on credit, prices start dropping. Does this happen only to me or everyone?”
By 2 PM, the market had started sliding further, selling pressure was increasing, and lively discussions filled broker offices. That wrapped up our Ground Zero tour for the week.
