The NEPSE  index fell by 17.61 points at the end of four day trading Friday after registering a gain of 25.49 points the previous week. Trading opened at 352.25 points Monday and closed at 334.64 points Friday.

Altogether 45,192 shares of 30 companies valued at Rs.27.91 million were traded through 746 transactions; the previous week 163,289 shares valued at R 55 million were exchanged hands through 4,507 transactions.

The government for the first time introduced capital gains tax from this fiscal year on stock trading. The market decline was  largely because of the slump in the indices of the banking sector  from 384.08 to 358.84.