Equities market ends week with marginal loss

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) and Market Capitalization for the sixth week in a row declined to close the week at 25,333.39 and N8.721 trillion respectively after a depreciation of 0.80 percent. Sector indices also finished lower last week with the exception of the Banking and the Consumer Goods Indices that appreciated by 0.02 percent and 0.42 percent respectively while the ASeM Index closed flat. In the week, a turnover of 639.439 million shares worth N6.455 billion in 11,799 deals were traded by investors in contrast to a total of 823.547 million shares valued at N5.444 billion that exchanged hands in the previous week in 11,634 deals.

Top three traded equities last week were Access Bank, Diamond Bank, and TransCorp, accounting for 210.407 million shares worth N527.918 million in 1,316 deals, and contributing 32.91 percent and 8.18 percent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Twenty-seven equities led by Flourmills appreciated in price during the week, higher than 10 equities of the previous week. Twenty-six equities led by Forte Oil, for the second week running, depreciated in price, lower than 48 equities of the previous week, while 128 equities remained unchanged compared with 123 equities recorded in the preceding week.

The Financial Services Industry, measured by volume led the activity chart with 491.758 million shares valued at N2.211 billion traded in 6,241 deals; thus contributing 76.90 percent and 34.25 percent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with 64.507 million shares worth N58.500 million in 681 deals. The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 54.901 million shares worth N3.307 billion in 2,386 deals.

Also traded during the week were 25 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N235.15 executed in five deals, compared with a total of 60 units valued at N537.00 transacted previous week in 11 deals. A total of 2,100 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N1.838 million were traded in two deals compared to a total of 6,871 valued at N5.990 million transacted previous week in eight deals.