Nigerian Bourse Shrinks 6.67% as Investors Panic Over Scary Economic Forecast

By Dipo Olowookere

The Nigerian bourse fell by 6.67 per cent week-on-week last week after 29 equities came under heavy selling pressure caused by macroeconomic uncertainty.

Last week, investors were faced with a scary economic forecast from Moody’s, which raised doubts over the ability of Nigerian banks to meet their obligations due to the foreign exchange (forex) crisis in the country.

The global rating agency later downgraded the rating of Nigeria over concerns that the government would find it difficult to boost its earnings despite the price of crude oil rising in the global market.

Traders of stocks at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited reacted to these fears last week, as they quickly trimmed their exposure in the asset class so as not to get their fingers burnt.

Data showed that the All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation depreciated by 6.67 per cent to 44,396.73 points and N24.182 trillion, respectively.

Similarly, all other indices finished lower except NGX CG, banking, pension, NGX AFR bank, NGX AFR Div Yield, NGX MERI growth, NGX MERI Value, and industrial indices, which appreciated by 0.17 per cent, 0.15 per cent, 0.58 per cent, 2.10 per cent, 2.45 per cent, 1.22 per cent, 3.12 per cent, and 3.22 per cent, apiece, as the ASeM, growth and sovereign bond indices closed flat.

Business Post reports that Customs Street printed 33 price gainers, 29 price losers, and 95 price flatters in the week, in contrast to the 25 price gainers, 24 price losers and 108 price flatters recorded the earlier week.

Airtel Africa was the worst-performing stock as its value went down by 27.10 per cent to N1,312.20, NEM Insurance lost 9.98 per cent to trade at N4.42, Beta Glass also depreciated by 9.98 per cent to N41.50, Royal Exchange fell by 9.78 per cent to 83 Kobo, and MRS Oil lost 9.76 per cent to close at N12.95.

The best-performing stock for the week was Academy Press, which rose by 11.45 per cent to N1.46, Fidelity Bank gained 10.14 per cent to sell for N3.80, United Capital appreciated by 10.13 per cent to N12.50, BUA Cement improved by 9.73 per cent to N62.00, and PZ Cussons stretched by 9.52 per cent to N9.20 per cent.

In the five-day trading week, traders bought and sold 938.020 million shares worth N16.701 billion in 15,700 deals as against the 491.815 million shares worth N11.922 billion transacted in 14,350 deals a week earlier.

Financial equities dominated the activity chart with 501.278 million units valued at N5.080 billion carried out in 8,279 deals, accounting for 53.44 per cent and 30.42 per cent of the total trading volume and value, respectively.

ICT stocks trailed with 316.347 million units valued at N8.729 billion executed in 1,249 deals, while energy shares recorded the sale of 28.244 million units worth N983.561 million in 846 deals.

A breakdown indicated that CWG, GTCO and Fidelity Bank attracted most of the transactions, with 490.324 million units worth N2.905 billion traded in 2,860 deals, contributing 52.27 per cent and 17.39 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.