How NEPSE fared two weeks before elections

As preliminary vote counts point toward a strong showing for the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and signals of a stable, investment‑friendly government, early investor sentiment appears positive for Nepal’s stock market.

Here's how the market fared two weeks before the elections.

Week in NEPSE: Feb 22-28

The stock market index NEPSE posted a modest weekly gain, inching up 12.78 points, or about 0.48%. The secondary market opened at 2,642.2 points on Sunday and closed at 2,654.93 points on Thursday, with an intra‑week range between 2,608.95 and 2,666.22 points.

Market activity reflected mixed sentiment around continuing political developments ahead of national elections and ongoing cautious investor participation. Despite the slight uptick in the benchmark, total turnover was relatively subdued at roughly NRs 24.69 billion for the week.

Sectoral performance was uneven: life insurance and non‑life insurance stocks recorded gains, while groups such as mutual funds and hydropower faced pressure, with some segments registering declines of over 2%.

The week saw volatility of approximately 57 points on the NEPSE index. Moderate price swings, combined with an increase in overall market capitalisation to around NRs  4.466 trillion, translated into capital gains of about NRs 22 billion for investors’ portfolios during the review period.

Week in NEPSE: March 1-5

The week before the election saw the market gaining positive momentum, with the week disrupted by the election holiday, limiting trading to two sessions.

On Sunday (March 1), the benchmark index advanced by 19.27 points to close at 2,674.20, reflecting broad gains across most sectors and higher turnover compared with the prior session.

On Tuesday (March 3), NEPSE surged an additional 38.52 points, settling around 2,712.49 as liquidity and buying interest climbed ahead of the election halt. This marked a notable uptick from earlier in the week, with most sectors in positive territory and trading activity expanding.

Market participation remained robust as 254 listed companies recorded gains, while most major segments contributed to the upward move. These sessions together recorded roughly NRs 11.87 billion in turnover.