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The average capacity utilization of industries in Bagmati Province has increased by 5 percentage points in FY 2021/22. The 'Bagmati Economic Activities Report', published by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) shows average capacity utilization of industries in the province stood at 47.4 percent in the last fiscal year which was 42.4 percent in FY2020/21. The NRB has been publishing reports on the economic activities of all seven provinces of the country in recent days. The NRB report says the noodle industry had the highest capacity utilization in the last fiscal while it is lowest in the pharmaceutical industry. In FY 2021/22, the production of soft drinks, clothing, paints, medicine, shoes, and electricity increased in the province while the production of milk, animal feed, noodles, cigarettes, garments, bricks, and cement decreased. Major industries in Kathmandu, & Makwanpur According to the report, major industries in the province include footwear, carpets, pashmina, felt goods, animal feed, ready-made garments, decorative goods, noodles, biscuits, beverages, bricks, pharmaceuticals, and cement industries with most of them located in the Kathmandu Valley and Hetauda, Makawanpur.  In FY 2021/22, a total of 131 industries were registered in the province. Of them, 26 were in the manufacturing sector, 9 in agriculture and forestry, 9 in energy, 11 in information and technology, 2 in infrastructure, 1 in mineral products, 38 in services, and 35 in tourism. The report states that no industries were registered in Rasuwa, Ramechhap, and Sindhuli districts in the last fiscal year. BFIs disbursed 842.66 billion in loans to industries According to the NRB report, banks and financial institutions (BFIs) disbursed Rs 842.66 billion in loans to the industries in the last fiscal year. The loan disbursement of the BFIs declined by 6 percent in FY 2021/22. Such disbursement had increased by 25.7 percent in FY 2020/21 to reach Rs 896.42 billion. Of the total loan disbursement, the share of the industrial sector was 32.1 percent. The BFIs disbursed the highest loans to the industries in the Kathmandu district in the last fiscal. A total of Rs 757.05 billion in loans (89.8 percent) were given to the industries operating in the Kathmandu districts. The Rasuwa districts had the lowest loan disbursement of Rs 26 million (0.03 percent). As the central office of most of the industrial establishments is in Kathmandu, it is natural to have the highest loan disbursement in the Kathmandu district. In FY 2021/22, loan disbursement to the mining and production industries increased by 113.1 percent while that of the construction industries decreased by 49 percent. According to the NRB report, loans to the electricity, gas, and water industries surged by 20.2 percent, metal products, machinery, and electronic industries by 10.4 percent, and non-food products production industries by 9.8 percent. Services sector gets the highest loan disbursement As Bagmati Province's economy is dominated by the services sector, the BFIs' loan disbursement to this sector was higher than the industrial sector. Of the total loan disbursed by the BFIs, 39.9 percent was received by services sector businesses. In FY 2021/22, BFIs disbursed loans worth Rs 1,046 billion to the service sector, an increment of 13.5 percent. The NRB report states that loans to wholesalers and retailers increased by 14 percent, transport, storage, and communication by 12.9 percent, and tourism by 6 percent.  

In a volatile trading day that was marked by high volume selling of shares followed by a rapid recovery, Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) recorded a turnover of Rs 5.04 billion on Thursday, the highest daily turnover of the last 11 months. With the investors continuing buying of shares on the back of the Nepal Rastra Bank amending guidelines on working capital loans on Wednesday and hopes that banks will reduce interest rates for the month of Magh, the stock market ended the last trading day of the week with a gain of 18.09 points. The Nepse index opened at 2,135.23 points and went to an intraday high of 2,159.22 points before closing at 2,143.93 points. Buoyancy in the market can be gauged by the fact that the number of traded shares increased by 44 percent on Thursday. Volatility was seen in the market with the market hitting an intra-day low of 2,114.01 as many investors sought profit booking by selling the shares they had purchased in the previous days. A total of 12. 58 million shares were traded on Thursday compared to 8.73 million on Wednesday. Except for banking and other indices, all the other sub-indices turned green on Thursday with the hotel and tourism sub-index recording the highest 5.75 percent gain. Himalayan Distillery Limited recorded the highest turnover of Rs 431.9 million while the shares of Himal Dolakha Hydropower Company Limited (HDHPC) were the most traded. On Thursday, the share prices of five companies hit the positive circuit after increasing by 10 percent. The share price of Chandragiri Hills, Buddha Bhumi Hydropower, Dhaulagiri Microfinance, Khaptad Microfinance, and Srijansheel Microfinance increased by 10 percent. After the new government noted in its first meeting that problems in the country's capital market will be resolved in the coming days, the stock market bounced back 278.29 points in the last two weeks. The confidence of stock investors returned after the new government assured that it would address problems in liquidity management and will work to bring down the persistently higher interest rates. With the liquidity position in the banking sector gradually improving, stock investors said they are now getting phones from the banks and financial institutions (BFIs) requesting them to take margin loans.  

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 800 per tola in the domestic market on Friday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow bullion is being traded at Rs 102, 300 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 103, 100 per tola on Thursday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 101, 800 per tola today. Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 365 per tola.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 18. 09 points to close at 2,143. 93 points on Thursday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 2. 51 point to close at 411. 23 points A total of 12,581,982 unit shares of 259 companies were traded for Rs 5. 04 billion. Meanwhile, Chandragiri Hills Limited, Buddha Bhumi Nepal Hydropower Company Limited, Dhaulagiri Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited, Khaptad Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited and Shrijanshil Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. Similarly, Citizens Mutual Fund was the top loser as its price fell by 3. 03 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 10 trillion.