By Adedapo Adesanya

The first trading session of the week at the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange ended on a positive note, with a 0.22 per cent gain on Monday, April 13.

This expansion was buoyed by the gains recorded by two securities, which offset the losses posted by three other securities.

FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc appreciated by N7.83 to trade at N99.89 per share compared with the previous N92.00 per share, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc advanced by 5 Kobo to sell at 62 Kobo per unit versus last Friday’s 57 Kobo per unit.

On the flip side, 11 Plc declined yesterday by N21.30 to N201.00 per share from N222.30 per share, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) lost 46 Kobo to trade at N63.04 per unit compared with the preceding session’s price of N63.50 per unit, and UBN Property Plc decreased by 20 Kobo to N1,98 per share from N2.18 per share.

At the close of transactions, the market capitalisation of the platform went up by N5.01 billion to N2.320 trillion from N2.315 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) grew by 8.38 points to 3,878.83 points from 3,870.45 points.

During the session, there was a 1,267.4 per cent jump in the volume of securities traded by investors to 2.6 million units from 188,593 units. The value of securities rose by 21.2 per cent to N31.2 million from N25.7 million, and the number of deals increased by 42.31 per cent to 37 deals from 26 deals.

Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most traded stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 57.6 million units exchanged for N3.9 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.6 million units traded at N1.8 billion.

GNI Plc also finished the day as the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units transacted for N1.2 billion.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Naira opened the week positively against the Dollar on Monday, April 13, as it gained 70 Kobo to trade at N1,356.19/$1 in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) compared with the previous value of N1,356.89/$1.

The domestic currency also appreciated against the Pound Sterling in the official market yesterday by N3.67 to close at N1,825.15/£1 versus last Friday’s quoted rate of N1,828.82/£1, and improved against the Euro by N4.89 to settle at N1,587.69/€1, in contrast to the preceding session’s N1,592.58/€1.

Similarly, the Nigerian Naira appreciated against the greenback at the GTBank FX desk by N3 to N1,373/$1 from N1,376/$1, and at the parallel market, it maintained stability at N1,385/$1.

Meanwhile, interbank turnover surged to N114.887 million across 141 deals, up from N71.156 million on Friday, as per information on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) website.

FX inflows into the NAFEM window moderated significantly, declining to $571.80 million from $1.06 billion in the previous week, according to Coronation Merchant Bank’s research report, indicating relatively tighter FX supply conditions.

The CBN had pledged to stabilise the Naira and boost sales of high-yield short-term debt to attract inflows of Dollars.

In the cryptocurrency market, risk assets shrugged off the failed weekend negotiations between the US and Iran and the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The move came alongside surging stocks and oil’s decline to back under $100 per barrel, largely due to the US not reaching an agreement with Iran in Pakistan after the US’s nearly six-week-long war campaign against Iran.

Ethereum (ETH) grew by 8.1 per cent to $2,362.57, Solana (SOL) surged by 4.9 per cent to $85.75, Bitcoin (BTC) appreciated by 4.9 per cent to $74,321.71, Ripple (XRP) expanded by 3.0 per cent to $1.36, and Binance Coin (BNB) rose by 2.8 per cent to $612.83.

Further, Dogecoin (DOGE) added 2.3 per cent to close at $0.0930, Cardano (ADA) climbed 2.2 per cent to trade at $0.2427, and TRON (TRX) increased by 0.2 per cent to $0.3207, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) remained unchanged at $1.00 each.

By Dipo Olowookere

The upward movement seen recently at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited continued on Monday after it further grew by 0.34 per cent at the close of business.

Sustained bargain-hunting in some banking and consumer goods stocks kept the bulls intact on Customs Street, giving no room for the bears.

Data showed that investor sentiment was strong after the bourse finished with 30 advancing equities and 25 declining equities, indicating a positive market breadth index.

The gainers’ chart was led by NGX Group, which appreciated by 10.00 per cent to trade at N153.45. Trans-Nationwide Express expanded by 9.81 per cent to N4.14, McNichols chalked up 9.74 per cent to finish at N7.10, VFD Group soared by 9.71 per cent to N11.30, and Chams gained 8.96 per cent to close at N3.65.

Conversely, the losers’ table was topped by Berger Paints, which fell by 9.95 per cent to N68.35. Academy Press lost 9.71 per cent to settle at N7.90, Caverton depreciated by 5.98 per cent to N5.50, Honeywell Flour crumbled by 4.92 per cent to N20.30, and CAP shed 3.81 per cent to quote at N96.00.

Access Holdings still led the activity chart during the session after it transacted 54.9 million shares valued at N1.4 billion, GTCO traded 43.5 million stocks worth N5.8 billion, Zenith Bank exchanged 42.2 million equities for N4.8 billion, Japaul sold 19.3 million shares valued at N57.5 million, and Chams posted a turnover of 19.1 million stocks worth N65.9 million.

When the closing gong was struck to signify end to trading for the session, market participants had traded 470.0 million equities for N32.5 billion in 60,793 deals compared with the 548.6 million equities valued at N31.5 billion executed in 48,538 deals in the previous trading day, a decline in the trading volume by 14.33 per cent, and a rise in the trading value and number of deals by 3.18 per cent and 25.25 per cent, respectively.

Business Post reports that the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 688.44 points yesterday to 204,458.86 points from 203,770.42 points last Friday, and the market capitalisation surged by N443 billion to N131.609 trillion from N131.166 trillion.