A Week That Changed the Mood
The trading week of April 1-5, 2026 (Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday — Nepal's three trading days in the period) will be remembered as one of NEPSE's most damaging short spans of the year. What started with a Finance Minister policy comment on April 1 became a two-session wrecking ball that knocked 180 points off the index and shattered the cautious optimism that had been building through early 2026.
The Week's Trading Sessions
| Date | Day | NEPSE Close | Change (pts) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before April 1 | — | ~2,851 | — | — |
| April 1, 2026 | Wednesday | 2,776.36 | -74.73 | -2.62% |
| April 2, 2026 | Thursday | 2,782.18 | +5.82 | +0.21% |
| April 3-4 | Fri-Sat | Market Closed | — | — |
| April 5, 2026 | Sunday | 2,676.68 | -105.50 | -3.79% |
Net weekly change: Approximately -174 points (-6.1%) from the pre-crash level
Sector Scorecard for the Week
| Sector | April 1 | April 5 | 2-Session Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTHERS (Reinsurance) | ~-2% | -6.09% | ~-8% |
| DEVBANK | -3.18% | -4.32% | ~-7.4% |
| FINANCE | -3.03% | -3.94% | ~-6.9% |
| HYDROPOWER | -2.81% | -4.84% | ~-7.5% |
| BANKING | -2.31% | -3.32% | ~-5.6% |
| LIFEINSU | -2.02% | -3.59% | ~-5.5% |
| MANUFACTURE | -2.45% | -1.33% | ~-3.8% |
The Week's Big Stories
- Finance Minister policy fear: The week's catalyst — the trigger that turned cautious optimism into sharp selling on April 1
- Six-stock circuit streak: BJHL, RSML, SKHL, RLEL, SKHEL hit upper circuits all three trading sessions — a remarkable divergence from the broader selloff
- HRL's circuit lower: Rs 582.54M turnover at -10% on April 5 — Nepal's reinsurance sector in crisis
- NHPC's massive volume: 1.43 million shares traded on April 5 — institutional liquidation of the most liquid hydropower name
- Manufacturing's resilience: The sector fell just 1.33% on April 5 vs. 4.84% for hydropower — real-economy stocks showed relative strength
Winners and Losers of the Week
Biggest losers: OTHERS/Reinsurance sector (-8%+ combined), Development Banks (-7.4%), Finance companies (-6.9%)
Relative outperformers: Manufacturing (-3.8% combined), and circuit stocks BJHL, RSML, SKHL (up 10%+ each session)
What Investors Are Watching Next
Heading into the April 6 (Monday) trading session, three things matter most:
- Finance Ministry response: Any official statement will dominate market direction
- SEBON/NEPSE actions: Regulatory response to circuit stock streaks
- Index support at 2,650-2,675: Whether the market defends the current zone or breaks lower toward 2,600
The Week in One Sentence
NEPSE's April 1-5 week saw 180 points wiped out in two sessions by policy fear, a dead-cat bounce that failed, and a second crash that broke the key 2,700 support — leaving the market at its most oversold level in months and desperately awaiting a policy catalyst to reverse the trend.