Stock Market Rises 0.10% as Golden Guinea Breweries Tops Gainers’ Chart

By Dipo Olowookere

The local stock market bounced back from the danger zone it fund itself on Monday as it appreciated by 0.10 per cent on Tuesday, with the year-to-date return closing at 31.34 per cent.

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited stood tall yesterday despite a pocket of profit-taking in the industrial goods and banking indices, which closed lower by 0.84 per cent and 0.20 per cent, respectively.

During the trading session, the insurance counter appreciated by 1.98 per cent, the energy sector improved by 1.64 per cent, and the consumer goods space gained 0.17 per cent.

Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 98.45 points to 98,206.97 points from 98,107.52 points and the market capitalisation increased by N60 billion to settle at N59.532 trillion compared with the preceding day’s N59.472 trillion.

According to data obtained from the bourse, Golden Guinea Breweries topped the gainers’ chart on Tuesday after it chalked up 9.93 per cent to trade at N6.53, Guinea Insurance jumped by 9.80 per cent to 56 Kobo, Tantalizers expanded by 9.77 per cent to N1.46, Africa Prudential soared by 9.70 per cent to N13.00, and ABC Transport accelerated by 9.65 per cent to N1.25.

On the flip side, John Holt led the losers’ table after it slumped by 9.96 per cent to N7.23, Haldane McCall shrank by 9.91 per cent to N5.27, Morison Industries moderated by 9.89 per cent to N4.01, Lafarge Africa tumbled by 7.80 per cent to N65.00, and UPDC REIT crashed by 5.83 per cent to N4.85.

At the close of transactions, Customs Street recorded 37 appreciating equities and 21 depreciating equities, representing a positive market breadth index and strong investor sentiment.

Business Post reports that Coronation Insurance was the most traded stock for the trading day with 457.6 million units sold for N503.8 million, Sterling Holdings exchanged 138.4 million units worth N677.5 million, Japual transacted 30.4 million units valued at N66.9 million, UBA traded 28.7 million units worth N962.6 million, and MTN Nigeria sold 24.7 million units valued at N4.3 billion.

A total of 939.4 million shares valued at N12.8 billion exchanged hands in 9,098 deals yesterday compared with the 436.0 million shares worth N12.9 billion traded in 9,489 deals a day earlier, implying a growth in the volume of transactions by 115.46 per cent and a fall in the value of trades and the number of deals by 0.78 per cent and 4.12 per cent, respectively.