Stocks plunge as budget measures frustrate investors

Infographics: TBS

In the wake of the latest budget announcement, stock markets have experienced a downturn, with investors expressing dissatisfaction over the outlined fiscal policies.

The key index DSEX of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw significant declines, with sectors such as insurance, banking, NBFIs, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and fuel and power bearing the brunt of the sell-off.

On Sunday (9 June), the first trading day after the budget, the DSEX plunged over 65 points to close at 5,171, hitting a 38-month low, while the blue-chip DS30 dropped by 22 points, settling at 1,835.

The stocks of Square Pharma, Beximco Pharma, Beacon Pharma, Olympic, and LafargeHolcim Bangladesh experienced the most significant decline, contributing to the index's downward trend on that day.

The turnover at the DSE also fell by 34% to Tk357 crore compared to the previous session.

The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange, also settled in the red terrain. The selected indices CSCX fell by 65 points to 8,924, and the all-share price index CASPI dropped by 106 points to close at 14,840.

In its daily market commentary, EBL Securities stated that the capital bourse of the country endured a major setback due to predominant sell pressure in the majority of scrips in the post-budget session. Investors' sentiment remained negative across the trading floor amid the already subdued market confidence.

The market remained dominated by sellers throughout the session as investors preferred to remain watchful and monitor the market momentum following the national budget declaration, it added.

In the FY25 budget, Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali proposed a 15% tax on individual investors' capital gains exceeding Tk50 lakh from listed securities, at a time when the country's investor-dominated stock market was experiencing a free fall.

Capital market stakeholders have urged the government to refrain from this move, citing its panic-inducing effect on an already fragile market.

Additionally, the proposal to narrow the corporate tax gap between publicly traded and non-listed companies to 500 basis points, instead of the recommended 750 basis points widening, was seen as discouraging firms from going public, contrary to stakeholders' and regulators' calls.

The budget also proposed taxing undisclosed money invested in securities, apartments, and lands with a one-off payment of 15% tax without questioning the source of income.

EBL Securities noted in its budget review that the imposition of the capital gains tax may dampen the interest of high-net-worth individuals in investing in the capital market.

"The further reduction of the income tax gap by 2.5% between listed and non-listed companies, along with the increased source tax for sponsors and directors, will discourage high-quality fundamental companies from listing on the capital market," it added.

"The legalisation of undisclosed money at a fixed tax rate will positively impact the money supply in the economy. Additionally, costlier bank deposits may indirectly channel some funds into the capital market."

The capital market has grappled with economic uncertainty worsened by the Russia-Ukraine war since its onset. To safeguard general investors from capital erosion, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) imposed a floor price in 2022 to halt share freefalls.

After more than two years, the BSEC lifted the restriction, but the bearish trend continued, causing the DSEX to plunge over 1,000 points by 9 June. Consequently, market capitalisation dropped by over Tk1.41 lakh crore during this period. Due to the prolonged downturn, around one lakh investors emptied their BOs.

In response, the BSEC re-implemented measures to protect investors, including reducing the circuit breaker limit from 10% to 3%.

Stockbrokers and market experts said several negative factors are contributing to this decline. The rising interest rates, imposition of taxes on individual investors' capital gains from listed securities, subdued corporate earnings, and a serious confidence crisis due to the regulator's intervention are collectively hurting stock bulls, they added.

Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, chairman of the National Board of Revenue, emphasised in a post-budget press conference that taxation was not the root cause of the capital market's issues, despite longstanding tax incentives not fostering market growth.

At an event organised by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on 22 May, Financial Institutions Division (FID) Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Khan stated that investors are mainly discouraged from the stock market by non-fundamental companies that entered the market with manipulated financial results.

"Many companies entered the stock market with manipulated financial health. But after that, they did not pay healthy dividends as their real health got revealed," he added.