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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 1. 53 points to close at 2, 695. 73 points on Monday. 

The sensitive index, however, dropped by 0. 75 points to close at 459. 16 points.

A total of 23,618,186-unit shares of 334 companies were traded for Rs 1. 56 billion.

Meanwhile, SY Panel Nepal Limited (SYPNL), Shreenagar Agritech Industries Limited (SAIL) and Him Star Urja Company Limited (HIMSTAR) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. 

Likewise, Mithila LaghuBitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (MLBBL) was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 52 trillion.

Nepal marked a milestone in its geospatial journey in April 2025 with the successful completion of the country’s first-ever Inclusive Mapping Week, held at Kathmandu University. Led by a single national coordinator, the week-long initiative aimed to empower students, professionals, and communities through the use of open geospatial technologies, while strengthening Nepal’s open mapping ecosystem. 

Supported by mentorship from Kiran Ahire, Asia Pacific Community Manager at TomTom, and backed by a dedicated team of volunteers including Usha Dhakal and Lokendra Yadav, the event reached more than 400 participants and set a new benchmark for open mapping initiatives in the country. Sponsored by TomTom, the programme combined education, collaboration, and humanitarian response, making it a turning point in Nepal’s geospatial history.

The seven-day event featured intensive training sessions on OpenStreetMap, remote sensing, spatial data management, biodiversity mapping, crisis mapping, advanced visualization tools, and ground-truth mapping, offering participants both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. 

Beyond training, Mapping Week 2025 actively contributed to disaster response efforts through weekly mapathons supporting earthquake-affected areas in Nepal and Myanmar. Mapping teams focused on identifying damaged infrastructure, evacuation routes, and essential services in Koshi Rural Municipality, while also contributing critical spatial data following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on 28 March 2025, helping humanitarian agencies improve logistics and aid delivery.

The initiative also broke new ground in inclusivity, with women making up 57 percent of participants, highlighting a growing female leadership presence in Nepal’s geospatial sector. Organizers described the event not just as a training programme, but as a movement to bridge knowledge gaps, foster inclusive participation, and strengthen Nepal’s contribution to global geospatial science. 

With strong collaboration among trainers, speakers, volunteers, and participants, Mapping Week 2025 laid the foundation for future data-driven and open mapping solutions in the country, reinforcing the idea that while maps are tools, it is the mappers who drive lasting change.

Net profits of commercial banks have rebounded in the second quarter of the current fiscal year 2025/26, supported by improving loan recovery, easing costs of funds, and a gradual pickup in economic activity. 

Financial statements of the 20 commercial banks until mid-January of the current fiscal shows that while banks continue to face challenges such as excess liquidity, weak credit demand, political uncertainty and a sluggish capital market, key financial indicators have begun to improve.

Commercial banks collectively earned a net profit of Rs 30.59bn in the second quarter. This represents an increase of 11.52 percent compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, when Class ‘A’ banks had posted a combined profit of Rs 27.43bn.

Bankers attribute the overall improvement primarily to better loan recovery and a gradual revival in economic activity. They say repayment behavior has improved after a weak first quarter marked by floods, landslides and social unrest, which has helped banks stabilize earnings.

Nabil Bank emerged as the largest profit earner in the review period as its net profit surged by 46.71 percent to Rs 4.75bn by mid-January. Global IME Bank followed as the second-largest profit maker, with earnings rising 6.5 percent to Rs 3.25bn.

Kumari Bank, however, recorded the most dramatic turnaround, posting a staggering 886 percent jump in profit to Rs 2.72bn. In the same period last fiscal year, the bank had reported net profit of only Rs 275.7m. 

Everest Bank reported a modest 2.04 percent increase in profit to Rs 2.11bn, while Prime Bank saw its earnings rise by 9.27 percent to Rs 2.04bn. State-owned Rastriya Banijya Bank more than doubled its profit, posting a 132 percent increase, to Rs 1.77bn.

In contrast, several banks saw profits decline. NMB Bank’s profit fell 17 percent to Rs 1.64bn, while Nepal Investment Mega Bank recorded a 43 percent drop to Rs 1.61bn. Siddhartha Bank’s operating profit rose significantly, increasing from Rs 755.4m to Rs 1.96bn. Sanima Bank posted a 16.67 percent rise to Rs 1.39bn, while Standard Chartered Bank’s profit jumped 150 percent to Rs 1.32bn. Himalayan Bank’s profit declined by 15 percent to Rs 1.29bn.

Nepal SBI Bank recorded a 14.56 percent increase to Rs 1.03bn, while Machhapuchchhre Bank’s profit grew 25 percent to Rs 1.01bn. Prabhu Bank, however, saw its profit fall by 24 percent to Rs 1.01bn.

Among laggards, the government-owned Agricultural Development Bank reported a 26 percent decline in profit to Rs 707.4m. Citizens Bank’s profit dropped by 45 percent to Rs 358.8m, and NIC Asia Bank’s earnings fell by 13.54 percent to Rs 131.1m. 

Laxmi Sunrise Bank was the only commercial bank to remain in the red in the second quarter. According to the bank, it recorded a net loss of Rs 273.6m during the review period. Overall, 12 commercial banks increased their profits in the second quarter, while seven reported declines and one posted a loss.

Lower cost of funds has also supported bank profitability. With ample liquidity in the banking system, deposit rates have eased which reduced interest expenses of banks. At the same time, regulatory forbearance provided by Nepal Rastra Bank, particularly facilities for loan restructuring and rescheduling, has helped banks manage non-performing loans more effectively.

Rising profits have begun to restore confidence in the banking sector. Customers are finding it easier to repay loans, while banks are gradually becoming more comfortable extending fresh credit, particularly to sectors such as hotels, transport and small businesses, where demand is showing early signs of recovery.

A 132-kV transmission line has come into operation in Karnali Province, marking the first transmission line operated by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in the province.

According to NEA Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya, the launch of the 132-kV Surkhet transmission line under the Kohalpur–Surkhet–Dailekh Transmission Line Project is expected to accelerate economic growth in the province.

Karnali had long been facing problems such as system overload, frequent power supply disruptions, and low voltage, as it relied solely on a 33-kV transmission line. With access to high-capacity transmission services, the province is now expected to witness industrial development with increased power consumption.

Project Chief Rabi Kumar Chaudhary said that construction of the approximately 52-kilometre Kohalpur–Surkhet section has been completed as directed by the NEA. 

He added that work on the second phase, covering the Surkhet–Dailekh section, will now be intensified.