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Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index has dropped to its lowest level in nearly four months as the stock market continued its downward trend on Tuesday.

In today’s trading session, the benchmark index fell by 26.16 points, pushing the overall market down to 2,674 points. This marks the lowest level since February 29, when the index stood at 2,773 points. The market had also declined by 1.46 points in the previous session, continuing a pattern of fluctuations that have mostly remained in the single-digit range in recent days.

Along with the index, trading volume also slightly declined. The total turnover dropped to Rs 4.36 billion, compared to Rs 4.44 billion in the previous trading day.

Out of the traded companies, 22 recorded gains, 239 declined, while 11 remained unchanged, indicating broad-based pressure across the market.

Most sectoral indices ended in the red. The production and processing group suffered the sharpest decline of 1.92 percent. Other sectors also fell, including banking (0.29 percent), development banks (0.43 percent), finance (1.28 percent), hotels and tourism (1.11 percent), hydropower (1.63 percent), investment (1.03 percent), life insurance (0.85 percent), microfinance (0.69 percent), non-life insurance (1.01 percent), others (0.67 percent), and trading (1.57 percent).

Despite the overall decline, shares of two newly listed companies surged by the daily limit of 15 percent. Taksar Pikhuwakhola and Yambaling Hydropower both hit the upper circuit, taking their share price to Rs 396.70.

On the losing side, Bungal Hydropower dropped by 15 percent, while Apollo Hydropower fell by 11.12 percent. Sopan Pharmaceuticals declined by 7.05 percent, and Kalinchowk Hydropower slipped by 5.64 percent.

Among the most actively traded companies were Ankhu Khola Hydropower, Sopan Pharmaceuticals, Reliance Spinning Mills, NRNA Infrastructure, and Bungol Hydropower.