By Dipo Olowookere
Shares of John Holt Plc grew by 30.16 per cent last to 82 Kobo from the previous week’s 63 Kobo as investors are beginning to look in the direction of the construction company’s stocks at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The organisation was among the 34 equities that gained points in the week compared with the preceding week’s 16 equities as traders are starting to show interest in the market ahead of the earnings season.
Cornerstone Insurance appreciated in the week by 30.97 per cent to 75 Kobo, Okomu Oil gained 12.09 per cent to sell for N216.90, The Initiates rose by 10.00 per cent to 44 Kobo, while FBN Holdings improved by 9.95 per cent to N11.60.
In the week, 29 shares depreciated in price compared with the preceding week’s 56 shares and the heaviest loser was PZ Cussons, which fell by 18.40 per cent to N10.20. University Press dropped 10.42 per cent to N2.58, Prestige Assurance went down by 10.00 per cent to 36 Kobo, NGX Group depleted by 9.55 per cent to N22.25, while Honeywell Flour reduced by 8.91 per cent to N2.76.
According to data from the exchange, a total of 93 equities closed flat against the 84 equities recorded in the previous week.
Business Post reports that the All-Share Index and the market capitalisation improved last week by 0.24 per cent to 51,829.67 points and N27.942 trillion respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of the Afr bank value, AFR Div Yield, MERI Value, consumer goods, oil/gas and industrial goods indices which depreciated by 0.43 per cent, 0.36 per cent, 0.38 per cent, 0.40 per cent, 0.25 per cent and 0.13 per cent apiece while the sovereign bond index closed flat.
The exchange witnessed a rise in the transaction level in the week as traders bought and sold 1.348 billion shares worth N24.487 billion in 22,155 deals in contrast to the 1.121 billion shares worth N13.703 billion that exchanged hands in 22,350 deals a week earlier.
Financial stocks led the activity chart with 1.009 billion units valued at N6.796 billion traded in 11,352 deals, contributing 74.87 per cent and 27.75 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
Conglomerates equities followed with 79,616 million units worth N144.549 million in 689 deals and the third place was occupied by energy shares with 72.996 million units worth N1.862 billion in 1,799 deals.
Mutual Benefits Assurance, Living Trust Mortgage Bank and GTCO were the busiest stocks with a turnover of 484.839 million units worth N2.414 billion in 2,410 deals, accounting for 35.97 per cent and 9.86 per cent of the total trading volume and value respectively.
