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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 5. 32 points to close at 2, 655. 99 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 39 points to close at 457. 53 points.

A total of 11,976,780-unit shares of 319 companies were traded for Rs 5. 82 billion.

Meanwhile, Jhapa Energy Limited (JHAPA) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. 

Likewise, Joshi Hydropower Development Company Ltd (JOSHI) was the top loser as its price fell by 4. 96 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 51 trillion.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 5, 200 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 247, 900 per tola today. 

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 3, 200 per tola today.

Mustang district produced potatoes worth Rs 628 million in the current fiscal year, according to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Office, Mustang. 

The Office shared that five local levels in the district harvested 9,665 metric tons of potatoes after farming in 478 hectares of land in the fiscal year 2082/83 BS.

In the last fiscal year, the farmers grew a total of 8,496 metric tons of potatoes by farming in 460 hectares of land, the Office stated.

Chief of Office Rajesh Gurung said that both production and productivity of potatoes increased this year compared to last year, which resulted in growth of Rs 118.4 million in value.

Gurung mentioned that the productivity of potato remained 20.22 metric tons per hectares this year and the potato farming was done in 18 hectares of additional land compared to the last fiscal year. 

The farmers got good prices for their products this year in Mustang.

According to Gurung, the farmers got Rs 5 more per kilogram for the sale of potatoes this year compared to last year. This year, the average price of potatoes was Rs 65 per kilogram.

The trade deficit widened significantly in the first four months of the fiscal year 2025/26, driven by a sharp rise in imports and only modest export performance, according to the latest foreign trade data released by the Department of Customs.

Nepal recorded a trade deficit of Rs 515.95bn between mid-July and mid-November, an 11.99 percent increase compared to the Rs 460.71bn deficit during the same period last fiscal year. The expansion reflects the country’s growing dependence on imported goods and its struggle to boost export competitiveness.

During the review period, Nepal imported goods worth Rs 609.45bn, while exports amounted to only Rs 93.49bn. Total foreign trade reached Rs 702.94bn, up from Rs 566.05bn in the corresponding period last year.

Although Nepal engaged in trading activities with more than 140 countries over the four-month period, it managed to maintain a trade surplus with only 28 of them. The largest surplus was recorded with Denmark. Nepal exported goods worth Rs 324.41m to the Scandinavian nation while importing products worth only Rs 49.99m, resulting in a surplus of Rs 274.41m. Major export items included tea, pasta, light snacks, pet food, felt products, and pullovers, while imports from Denmark consisted mainly of machinery, ophthalmic instruments, pharmaceutical raw materials, and animal feed.

Other notable countries with which Nepal posted trade surpluses were Romania (Rs 67.85m), Sweden (Rs 25.08m), Niger (Rs 17.34m), Iraq (Rs 17.31m) and the Seychelles (Rs 11.16m). Surpluses with the remaining countries were below Rs 10m.

On the deficit side, Nepal’s largest trade gap—by a wide margin—was with India, its largest trading partner. Imports from India totaled Rs 337.92bn during the review period, while exports reached only Rs 76.5bn, resulting in a deficit of Rs 261.41bn.

Nepal also experienced substantial deficits with China (Rs 132.27bn), Argentina (Rs 34.72bn), and the United Arab Emirates (Rs 21.56bn), reflecting the high volume of crude oil, manufactured goods, machinery, and industrial inputs sourced from these economies.

The widening deficit highlights Nepal’s limited export capacity and rising import dependency. Experts say it is high time the country prioritized industrial productivity, export diversification, and more competitive trade policies to narrow the growing imbalance.