The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) declined for the second consecutive trading session on Friday, extending the previous day's losses. The benchmark index slipped by 1.13 points to close at 2,660.78, while the Sensitive Index, which tracks the performance of large-cap companies, also edged down by 0.58 points.

Despite the decline in the benchmark index, market turnover increased significantly, largely driven by heavy trading in debentures. A total of 367 listed companies were traded through 53,432 transactions, generating a total turnover of Rs. 6.86 billion. This marks a notable increase compared to the previous session's turnover of Rs. 4.61 billion.

Debentures dominated trading activity during the session, with nine of the top ten most-traded securities being fixed-income instruments. Nepal Bank Debenture 2087 (8.5%) topped the turnover chart with nearly Rs. 900 million worth of transactions. It was followed by RBBL Debenture 2083 (8.5%), which recorded approximately Rs. 700 million in turnover, while Sanima Debenture 2087 (8.5%) also witnessed trading exceeding Rs. 280 million.

Among individual stocks, Atmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha emerged as the top gainer, with its share price rising 10.66%. Similarly, Kumari Equity Fund gained around 9%, while Kalanga Hydro advanced nearly 7% during the session.

On the losing side, Bhagawati Hydropower Development Company posted the biggest decline, with its share price falling 7.84%.

Sector-wise, the market showed mixed performance. Out of the 13 sectoral indices, six sectors closed higher, while seven sectors ended the day in negative territory, reflecting cautious investor sentiment despite the strong trading volume.