Stories by Amaka Ifeakandu Lagos
Investment in the nation’s equity market has continued it’s positive trend, as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All Share Index (ASI) increased by 758.71 basis points. Th e NSE trading report for the week showed that ASI moved up by 2.28 per cent to close at 34020.37 points from 33261.66 recorded the previous week. Market Capitalization of listed equities also appreciated by N262 billion to N11.725 trillion from N11.463 trillion traded two weeks ago.
Similarly, all other Indices took positive direction during the week with the exception of the NSE Insurance Index that depreciated by 2.81 per cent, while the NSE ASeM index closed fl at. NSE Premium Index grew by 41.50 basis points to 2310.23, the NSE Main Board Index appreciated by 37.87 to 1,511.68 points, NSE 30 index grew by 40.89 to 1546.99, NSE Banking index went up by 9.82 per cent to 422.67 points, NSE Consumer Goods index added 22.82 to 791.57 , NSE Oil and Gas index 1.26 to 326.11, NSE Lotus II rose by 30.11 to 2064.45 points, Industrial Good index surged by 138.97 to 2132.21 while NSE Pension index improved by 27.75 to 1,175.89 points.
Th e NSE weekly activities showed that investors bought 3.628 billion shares worth N34.886 billion in 19,834 deals against a total of 1.272 billion shares valued at N13.993 billion that exchanged hands the previous week in 19,385 deals. Th e Financial Services Industry led the activity chart in volume terms with account of 3.393 billion shares valued at N28.711 billion traded in 11,237 deals, contributing 93.55 per cent and 82.30 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Th e Consumer Goods Industry followed with 79.473 million shares worth N3.418 billion in 3,101 deals.
Th e third place was occupied by Conglomerates Industry accounting for 70.175 million shares worth N113.486 million in 872 deals. Trading in the top three equities namely – United Bank for Africa Plc, Continental Reinsurance Plc and Niger Insurance Plc. accounted for 2.515 billion shares worth N20.825 billion in 1,191 deals, representing 69.33 per cent and 59.69 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. A review of the transactions indicated that 36 equities appreciated in price during the week, against 48 equities of the previous week.
Th e result, however, revealed that 33 companies have price depreciation against 27 traded the previous week, while 102 equities remained unchanged higher than 97 equities recorded in the preceding week. Skye Bank Plc led gainers table for the week , growing by 19.69 per cent or N0.12 kobo to close at N0.73 kobo, Unilever Nigeria Plc followed with a gain of 16.12 per cent or N5.32 kobo to close at N38.32 points while Lafargem Africa increased by 15.38 per cent or N8.00 to close at N60.00.
Other companies that appreciated in price were Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc 13.52 per cent, okomu oil Palm 8.37 per cent, Honey Well Flour Mills Plc 7.69 per cent, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria 7.19 per cent, Champion Breweries Plc 6.40 per cent, Ecobank Transnational incorporated 6.16 per cent and Africa Prudential Plc 5.33 per cent. On the contrary, Axamansard Insurance recorded the highest loss during week, declining by 8.97 per cent or N0.20 kobo to close at N2.03 kobo, A. G. Leventis trailed with a loss of N7.69 per cent or N 0.06 kobo to close at N0.72 kobo, while Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc fell by 6.02 per cent or N0.18 kobo to close at N2.81 kobo. Other fi rms depreciated in price were Continental Reinsurance Plc 5.80 per cent, Presco Plc 5.48 per cent, Berger Paints Plc 5.31 per cent, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc 4.99 per cent, Nascon Allied Industries Plc 4.95 per cent, May &Baker Nigeria Plc 4.78 per cent and NPF micro Finance Bank Plc 4.35 per cent
