By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) recorded a marginal growth on Friday, rising by 0.03 percent at the close of transactions to reduce the year-to-date loss 14.57 percent.
The gains posted by stocks in the consumer goods (+1.63 percent), industrial goods (+1.37 percent) and oil/gas (+0.34 percent) suppressed the losses recorded by equities in the banking (-1.68 percent) and insurance (-1.68 percent) sectors.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) slightly increased by 8.57 points to 26,851.68 points from 26,843.11 points, while the market capitalisation appreciated by N4.2 billion to N13.071 trillion from N13.067 trillion.
Business Post reports that despite the gains, the activity level was weak as total number of shares, number deals and value of the transactions went down by 24.78 percent, 12.95 percent and 44.22 percent respectively.
A total of 470.0 million shares worth N5.6 billion were transacted in 5,594 deals by investors on Friday compared with the 624.8 million shares valued at N10.0 billion exchanged on Thursday in 6,426 deals.
Unlike the previous session, Access Bank emerged the most traded stock at the market on Friday, trading 158.8 million units worth N1.7 billion, while Zenith Bank dropped to the second position with 71.0 million shares sold for N1.4 billion.
UBA transacted 41.9 million equities valued at N317.0 million, FBN Holdings sold 41.5 million shares worth N282.6 million, while Fidelity Bank exchanged 23.6 million equities valued at N47.0 million.
On the price movement chart, Guinness Nigeria was the highest price gainer, appreciating by N2.60 to finish at N28.60 per unit, while Flour Mills followed with a price appreciation of N1.05 to settle at N16.25 per share.
Nigerian Breweries and CCNN gained N1 apiece to finish at N48.50 and N20 respectively, while Dangote Sugar rose by 80 kobo to settle at N11.70 per unit.
On the flip side, GTBank led the losers’ chart with a price depreciation of 90 kobo to close at N29 per share, while MTN Nigeria also went down by 90 kobo to close at N121 per unit.
Both Access Bank and Zenith Bank depreciated by 30 kobo each to finish at N10.50 and N18.85 per share respectively, while NAHCO declined by 23 kobo to settle at N2.37 per share.
