With the country's capital market going through a bearish run, the income of commercial banks from share investments has taken a huge beating in this fiscal year. The third quarter financial report shows banks' share trading income has decreased by 36.73 percent on average. The 21 commercial banks operating in the country have earned Rs 4.08 billion from share trading till mid-April 2023 compared to Rs 6.45 billion during the same period of the last fiscal year. In the last fiscal year, the stock market was on a bullish trend which pushed the share income of banks higher. However, such income of banks has declined this year as the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) is going through a lean period. The benchmark index is currently hovering below 1,900 points.

Among the commercial banks, Standard Chartered Bank Nepal has earned the highest income from share trading by the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal year. The bank posted earnings of Rs 447.2 million during this period followed by Nabil Bank with Rs 377 million and Global IME Bank with Rs 366 million.

The Agricultural Development Bank Limited has posted a loss in the share trading in this fiscal. The third quarter report shows the bank suffered a loss of Rs 22.45 million this year from share trading. The bank also incurred a loss of Rs 76.79 million in share trading during the same period of the last fiscal year. While the banks' share trading income has decreased, two banks have managed to increase such income this year. The income from share trading of Nepal SBI Bank and Machhapuchchhre Bank increased in the third quarter compared to the last fiscal year Machhapuchchhre posted an earning of Rs 273.38 million in the period, an increase of 51 percent from Rs 181.5 million in the same period of the last fiscal year. Similarly, Nepal SBI's share trading income increased to Rs 236.6 million in the third quarter, a jump of 29 percent from Rs 183.2 million in the same period of the last fiscal year.

Bank	Chaitra End 2079	Chaitra End 2078
Standard Chartered Bank Nepal	Rs 447.21 million	Rs 500.40 million
Nabil Bank	Rs 377.42 million	Rs 570.73 million
Global IME Bank	Rs 366.02 million	Rs 633.83 million
Nepal Investment Mega Bank	Rs 362.18 million	Rs 749.86 million
Himalayan Bank	Rs 291.81 million	Rs 577.18 million
Machhapuchchhre Bank	Rs 273.84  million	Rs 181.57 million
Kumari Bank	Rs 243.96 million	Rs 470.42 million
Nepal SBI Bank	Rs 236.62 million	Rs 183.28 million
Sanima Bank	Rs 211.58 million	Rs  322.86 million
Prabhu Bank	Rs 181.76 million	Rs 268.82 million
NMB Bank	Rs 174.80 million	Rs 228.66 million
Siddhartha Bank	Rs 145.23 million	Rs 355.03 million
Laxmi Bank	Rs 136.88 million	Rs 233.09 million
NIC Asia Bank	Rs 122.12 million	Rs 161.99 million
Everest Bank	Rs 118.64 million	Rs 254.44 million
Prime Commercial Bank	Rs 117.26 million	Rs 185.65 million
Sunrise Bank	Rs 116.92 million	Rs 214.09 million
Citizens Bank	Rs 102.82 million	Rs 189.21 million
Nepal Bank	Rs 48.34 million	Rs 214.61 million
Rastriya Banijya Bank	Rs 32.20 million	Rs 38.47 million
Agricultural Dev Bank	(Rs 22.45 million)	(Rs 76.79 million)