Peoples Leasing shares dip to Tk0.90, lowest ever on DSE
Investors initially purchased PLFSL shares at a face value of Tk10, in many cases even paying additional premiums. Now, the same shares are trading below Tk1
Peoples Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (PLFSL) set a historic record yesterday as its shares traded at the lowest-ever price in the history of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) — just Tk0.90 per share.
According to DSE data, around 16 lakh shares of the company changed hands at Tk0.90 each, with a total market value of roughly Tk25 crore.
Market insiders say investor confidence in Bangladesh's stock market has reached an alarming low. Political uncertainty, economic slowdown, and liquidity crises have heavily affected investor sentiment, which is now reflected in the sharp decline of share prices across multiple sectors — many trading far below their face values.
Investors initially purchased PLFSL shares at a face value of Tk10, in many cases even paying additional premiums. Now, the same shares are trading below Tk1.
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Market data also show that 103 companies and mutual funds are currently trading below their face value of Tk10. Among them, 69 belong to various sectors such as banking, insurance, non-bank financial institutions, textiles, food, services, and engineering, while 34 are mutual funds.
Even more concerning, 54 of these companies and funds are now trading below Tk5 — signaling a severe crisis of confidence in the market.
Analysts note that the overall economic distress, persistent political uncertainty, and mounting investor losses have pushed the market into deep pessimism. Many investors are withdrawing funds out of fear of long-term losses, while new investor participation has dropped to nearly zero.
They also attribute the situation to a lack of confidence in the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), negative sentiment surrounding legal reforms, weak institutional investor participation, and growing concerns over investment safety.
Market analysts have urged policymakers to take immediate and effective measures to restore confidence in the stock market.
Earlier this month, several media outlets reported that the Bangladesh Bank was planning to cancel the licenses of nine non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) due to severe financial distress and inadequate collateral coverage against outstanding loans — triggering a further drop in financial sector share prices.
These institutions include Peoples Leasing, International Leasing, Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company (BIFC), FAS Finance, Aviva Finance, Fareast Finance, GSP Finance, Prime Finance, and Premier Leasing.
According to data from the Bangladesh Bank, a total of Tk15,370 crore in deposits – both individual and institutional – is currently held in these nine non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs).
Of this amount, Tk3,525 crore belongs to small individual depositors, while the remaining Tk11,845 crore represents deposits from various banks and corporate entities.
Among individual depositors, the highest amount – Tk1,405 crore – is stuck with Peoples Leasing.
However, the Peoples Leasing authorities informed the stock exchange that they have not yet received any official documents, circulars, directives, or government communication regarding such cancellation. Nonetheless, the news sparked anger and anxiety among the company's depositors.
