Kathmandu-The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) ended Monday’s trading session sharply lower, shedding 33.28 points (1.21 percent) to close at 2,701.32, as heavy selling across most sectors outweighed modest gains in banking stocks.

The benchmark index remained under pressure throughout the session, briefly climbing above the 2,740 level before reversing course and falling steadily in afternoon trade.

Despite the decline, investor participation remained strong, with total turnover reaching Rs 6.07 billion from 13.91 million shares traded.

Market breadth remained overwhelmingly negative, with 235 stocks declining, 35 advancing, and five remaining unchanged, highlighting broad-based weakness across the market.

Sectoral performance was largely in the red. The Trading Index posted the steepest decline, falling 2.23 percent, followed by Manufacturing and Processing (-2.30 percent), Hotels and Tourism (-2.22 percent), Hydropower (-1.90 percent), and Development Banks (-1.82 percent). The Banking Index was among the few gainers, edging up 0.10 percent, while the Mutual Fund Index rose 0.15 percent.

Among individual stocks, Everest Colour Limited emerged as the day’s top performer, surging 14.99 percent to close at Rs 748.70. 

On the turnover front, Reliance Spinning Mills Limited led the market with transactions worth Rs 335.43 million, followed by Global IME Bank Limited (Rs 281.40 million), and  Ridi Power Company Limited (Rs 221.34 million).