Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index surged 48.57 points, or 1.87%, to close at 2,633.62 points on Tuesday, as investor confidence improved following the unveiling of a plan to strengthen and revive the capital market.
This was the biggest intraday gain since August 17, when the index had closed 79.74 points higher.
The benchmark index started the day on a particularly strong note, gaining 86.05 points, or 3.32%, during the 15-minute pre-open session on Tuesday. A total of 285,810 units worth Rs 12.35 million were traded during the pre-open session.
The index, however, pared some of its pre-open gains during regular trading. It reached an intraday high of 2,679.54 points before settling at 2,633.62.
Market activity also picked up significantly, with total turnover nearly doubling to Rs 8.29 billion, the highest since April 16, compared to the previous session. A total of 20.39 million units were traded on the bourse through 78,869 transactions. Unit prices of 265 stocks advanced during the session, while 12 declined and one remained unchanged.
The market rally came a day after the government unveiled the Capital Market Strengthening and Revival Action Plan, 2026, which includes measures to improve capital market functioning and boost investor confidence.
The action plan proposes introducing a price discovery mechanism for initial public offerings (IPOs), implementing margin lending and short selling, developing the corporate bond market and opening the secondary market to non-resident Nepali (NRN) investors.
It also includes measures to expand the participation of institutional investors and modernize the Nepal Stock Exchange, CDS and Clearing Ltd (CDSC) and securities brokerage businesses.
Among individual stocks, Dibyashwori Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd posted the highest gain of 14.96%. Sindhu Bikash Bank and Multipurpose Finance Company Ltd followed with gains of 11.03% and 9.73%, respectively.
On the other hand, 8.5% Everest Bank Debenture led the losing stocks, going down by 5.55%. 10% KBL Debenture 2090 and Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) Ltd followed with losses of 3% and 2.97%, respectively.
Reliance Spinning Mills Ltd topped the turnover chart with transactions worth Rs 327.01 million. Shivam Cements Ltd and Api Power Company Ltd followed with turnovers of Rs315.70 million and Rs284.42 million, respectively.
All 13 sub-indices posted gains on Tuesday. The biggest gain came from the Non-Life Insurance sub-index, which rose 2.82%. The Life Insurance and Investment sub-indices followed with gains of 2.59% and 2.52%, respectively.
Investors said the measures announced in the government’s action plan could help make the capital market more transparent, competitive and investor-friendly while creating new avenues for investment.
Tuesday’s strong market response suggests that investors are closely watching the implementation of the government’s proposed capital-market reforms.
