Kathmandu, Dec. 24 -- The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index closed slightly higher on Wednesday, even as overall turnover declined.

The benchmark edged up by 1.37 points compared with the previous day, climbing 0.05 percent to settle at 2,585.87.

Owing to Thursday's public holiday, Wednesday marked the week's final trading session. The market logged four trading days this week, with the first two sessions ending in decline and the last two posting gains.

Market breadth, however, remained negative. Out of the companies traded, 111 advanced, 142 declined, and 7 remained unchanged. Despite the higher number of losers, the benchmark managed a modest uptick, indicating that gains in a few companies were strong enough to offset broader weak...