The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index posted a modest gain of 7.1 points on Wednesday, closing at 2,696.23 points — a 0.26 percent increase from the previous trading day, when the index had declined slightly.

Out of the listed companies, 147 recorded an increase in share prices, while 97 saw a drop. The prices of the two companies remained unchanged.

A total of 166,115,532 shares were traded across 64,360 transactions, amounting to a total turnover of Rs7.26 billion. Although the market recorded a rise in the index, the total trading value fell compared to Tuesday’s Rs8.54 billion.

Among the 13 trading subgroups, six — including finance, microfinance, hotels and tourism, manufacturing and processing, investment, and others — saw their indices decline. Meanwhile, banking, development banks, hydropower, life insurance, mutual funds, non-life insurance, and trading sectors posted gains.

The mixed performance across sectors suggests cautious optimism among investors, as the market continues to adjust to shifting investor sentiment and economic cues.