The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) closed yesterday’s trading session on a relatively flat note, posting a modest N67 billion gain in market capitalisation despite a drop in trading activity across the board.
At the end of trading, the All-Share Index (ASI) rose slightly by 105.70 points, reflecting a 0.08% increase to settle at 132,557.43 points. This uptick brought the market capitalization to N83.9 trillion, up from N83.83 trillion in the previous session.
However, trading activity showed a notable decline. Total traded volume fell by 12% to 681.2 million shares, while turnover dropped sharply by 36% to N17.02 billion. The total number of executed deals also dipped by 18%, closing at 26,931.
Out of 128 stocks traded during the session, 29 recorded gains, 37 posted losses, while 62 closed flat.
Top Gainers:
- Academy Press Plc led the chart with a 10% gain, closing at N7.70 per share.
- The Initiates Plc followed with a 9.98% increase to N13.34.
- Others in the top five included Ikeja Hotel (9.95%), Nigerian Enamelware (9.84%), and NAHCO (9.65%).
Top Losers:
- Austin Laz & Company topped the losers list, shedding 10% to close at N2.34.
- Tripple Gee, Omatek Ventures, Daar Communications, and Multiverse Mining also recorded significant losses between 9.95% and 9.09%.
Most Traded Stocks (by volume):
- Access Holdings Plc led with 98.6 million shares valued at N2.74 billion.
- Ellah Lakes followed with 61.1 million shares worth N581.6 million.
- Other top volume movers included Japaul Gold (49.2m), Royal Exchange (43.8m), and Universal Insurance (32.1m).
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Top Stocks by Value Traded:
- Access Holdings Plc again topped the list with N2.74 billion.
- Dangote Cement followed with N1.3 billion from 2.7 million shares.
- Aradel Holdings (N1.23bn), GTCO (N1.14bn), and WAPCO (N1.03bn) completed the top five.
Sector Performance:
- All major indices closed in the green:
- Top 30 Index rose 0.08%
- Banking Index gained 0.44%
- Consumer Goods Index climbed 0.3%
- Pension Index advanced 0.24%
- Oil & Gas Index and Insurance Index edged up by 0.21% and 0.13% respectively.
- Top 30 Index rose 0.08%
Year-to-date, the ASI has gained 28.79%, reinforcing positive investor sentiment despite bouts of profit-taking and volatility in recent sessions.
Image Credit: Punch Newspapers
