Dhaka, May 3 -- Many of the worst-performing companies have outpaced market leaders in price gains in the secondary market over the past four months, as investors focus on short-term returns amid limited investment options.

Apart from retailers, many institutional investors have not fixed any long-term investment strategy amid the liquidity crisis.

Ahead of the national election held on February 12, investors had been uncertain about the future market direction. After the election, investors' expectations regarding market stability faded as the US and Israel jointly struck Iran and waged war at the end of February.

As a result, the market outlook has become elusive, and investors remain fixated on speculative stocks in the hope of shor...