Kathmandu, Oct. 3 -- The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index fell 30.66 points, or 1.17 percent, this week to 2,599.15, slipping below the psychologically important 2,600 mark as selling pressure persisted across the market. The index had closed at 2,629.81 the previous week.

The 2,600 level is important not only as a widely watched round-number threshold but also because it now sits close to the market's short-term technical indicators. The index ended the week below its 20-day exponential moving average at 2,619.73 and its 50-day EMA at 2,602.99, suggesting that sellers retained the upper hand in the short term.

The decline reduced market capitalisation by around Rs50 billion, from Rs4.52 trillion to Rs4.47 trillion. The fall came desp...