By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange closed the week in the flat territory on Friday, August 21 as the total market value and the unlisted securities index remained at the previous levels it closed on Thursday.
Specifically, the market capitalisation and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) both closed the session at N520.93 billion and 709.17 points respectively.
However, the number of deals executed by market participants reduced by 61.1 per cent or 11 deals as seven deals were carried out at the bourse compared with the 18 deals recorded at the previous trading day.
The deals were carried out on securities belonging to market hardliners, Niger Delta Exploration and Production (NDEP) Plc which recorded three deals, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc with two deals, while Central Securities Clearing Systems (CSCS) Plc and First Trustbond Merchant Bank executed one deal each.
From these deals, investors traded 739,689 units of shares at the bourse, 450.4 per cent higher than the 134,382 units of securities transacted on Thursday.
Despite the rise in the trading volume, the value of the transactions reduced by 30.1 per cent at the session to N15.3 million from N21.9 million transacted at the previous session.
Insurance company, ARM Life Plc, maintained its position as the most traded securities at the NASD Exchange by volume (year-to-date) with 7.4 billion units of its shares sold for N4.6 billion. It was followed by CSCS Plc, which has traded 200.8 million units worth N2.7 billion. Food Concept Plc, which has transacted 125.1 million units of its shares valued at N88.1 million, settled in the third spot.
In terms of the most active stock by value (year-to-date), ARM Life Plc also remained on top of the chart for trading 7.4 billion units of its shares worth N4.7 billion. It was trailed by NDEP Plc, which has transacted 8.8 million units worth N2.7 billion and then CSCS Plc with 200.8 million units of its securities for N2.7 billion.
Dipo Olowookere