Stock Market Closes Week On Bearish Note

Activities on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange at the end of last week closed in the red zone as the NSE All-Share Index depreciated by 15.02? points? or? 0.1 per cent? to close at? 20,877.64 while the market capitalisation? of the equities dropped? to N6.58 trillion.

However, the NSE-30 Index appreciated by 6.12 points or 0.7 per cent to close at 942.24. In the preceding week, the NSE-ASI and NSE-30 indices appreciated by 0.4 per centeach.

Two of the four sectorial indices? appreciated? last week,? compared with one that so appreciated? during the preceding week.?

The NSE? Consumer Goods Index? appreciated by 0.17 points or 0.02 per cent to close at 1,676.71 while the NSE Banking Index appreciated by 12.46 points or 4.5 per cent to close at 283.45. However, the NSE Insurance Index depreciated by 5.86 points or 4.7 per cent to close at 119.78 and the NSE Oil/Gas Index depreciated by 12.29 points or 5.5 per cent to close at 212.75.

Consequently, 25 equities appreciated in price during the week, higher? than the? 20 of the preceding week. Two equities from the Consumer Goods sector led on the gainers’ table.

As in the preceding week, Nestle Nigeria Plc led on the gainers’ table with a gain of N10.00 or 2.3 per cent to close at N440.00 per share while Nigerian Breweries Plc followed with a gain of N1.93 or 2.1 per cent to close at N120.00 per share, among other gainers.?

On the other hand, 40 stocks depreciated in price, lower than the 42 in the week before. Guinness Nigeria Plc? led on the price losers’ table, dropping N10.00? or? (4.3 per cent) to? close at N220.00? per share while MRS Oil Nigeria Plc? followed with a loss of N7.98 or? (14.2 per cent)? to close at N48.07 per share, among other losers.

However, a turnover of 1.613 billion shares worth N15.1 billion in 17,444 deals was recorded during the week, in contrast to a total of? 1.323 billion? shares valued at N10.1 billion exchanged the week before in? 15,973 deals.

The Financial Services sector accounted for 1.2 billion shares valued at N4.431 billion traded? in? 9,934? deals.?

The? Consumer Goods? sector followed with 126.632 million shares valued at N4.54 billion traded in 3,427 deals.

The? Banking? subsector of the? Financial Services? sector was the most active during the week (measured by turnover volume); with? 948.21? million shares worth N4.3? billion exchanged by investors in? 9,312? deals.

Volume in the? Banking? sub-sector? was largely driven by activity in the shares of UBA Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc and First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Trading in the shares of the three banks accounted? for 617.5 million? shares, representing 65.1 per cent, 51.5 per cent and 38.3 per cent of the turnover recorded by the sub-sector, sector and total turnover for the week, respectively.

The Insurance subsector of the Financial Services sector, boosted by activity in the shares of NEM Insurance Co. Nigeria Plc and Goldliknk Insurance Plc, followed on the week’s activity chart with a subsector turnover of 250.311 million shares valued at N148.86 million traded in 607 deals.?

In the preceding week, the Banking subsector? led on the activity chart and was followed by the? Insurance subsector, both from the Financial Services sector.

Also included in the transactions for the week were 5,795 units of NewGold Exchange Traded Fund valued at N15.7 million traded in 12 deals.

There were no transactions executed through the stock market in the Federal Government Development Stocks, State Government Bonds and Industrial Loans/Preference Stocks sectors.?

Meanwhile, report of the OTC market for FGN Bonds showed that a turnover of 151.3 million units worth N128,139.63 million in 1,030 deals was recorded during the week, in contrast to a total of? 134.8 million units valued at N120,502.8 million exchanged in? 870? deals during the week ended Thursday, January 26, 2012.

The most active bond (measured by turnover volume) was the? 10.7 per cent FGN May 2018? (5th FGN Bond 2018 Series? 2) with a traded volume of 36.74 million units valued at N29,300.5 million? in 292 deals.

This was followed by the 5.5 per cent FGN February 2013 (7th FGN Bond 2013 Series 1) with a traded volume of 25.3 million units valued at N23,247.3 million in? 170? deals.?

Fifteen? (15)? of the available twenty-eight? (28) FGN Bonds were traded during the week, compared with fourteen (14) during the preceding week.