NSE CAPITALISATION APPRECIATES BY N114.45BN

By PROVIDENCE OBUH
An improvement was recorded on the Nigeria Stock Exchange NSE, last week, as the value of listed equities represented by the market capitalization appreciated by 114.45 billion.

Specifically, the capitalization surged by 1.82 per cent to close at N6.412 trillion from N6.297 trillion at which it opened the week under review.

Another  key performance indices, the All share index appreciated by 1.95 per cent or 387.62 bases points to close at 20,257.47 points from 19,869.85 points.

Thirty-three equities appreciated in price during the week under review, higher than the 15 of the preceding week. Dangote Cement Plc led on the gainers' table with a gain of N4.00 or 4.2 per cent to close at N100.00 per share, Oando Plc followed with a gain of N3.95 or 15.8 per cent to close at N28.95 per share and Nigerian Breweries Plc garnered N3.09 or 3.6 per cent to close at N89.10 per share.

Other share price gainers' include: Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc N1.50, Nestle Nigeria Plc N1.06, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc N1.00, Zenith Bank Plc N0.58, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc N0.55, NCR Nigeria Plc N0.53, First Bank of Nigeria Plc N0.47, among others.

On the contrary, 30 stocks depreciated in price, lower than the 49 of the preceding week. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc led on the price losers' table, dropping by N4.14 or 9.7 per cent to close at N38.43 per share, Guinness Nigeria Plc followed with a loss of N3.00 or 1.5 per cent to close at N202.00 per share and Lafarge WAPCO Cement Plc dipped by N1.06 or 2.6 per cent to close at N38.95 per share.

Other price losers include: Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc N0.90, UAC of Nigeria Plc N0.88, UACN Property Development Company Plc N0.65, Dangote Flour Mills Plc N0.44, Nigerian Enamelware Plc N0.42, May & Baker Nigeria Plc N0.41, United Bank for Africa Plc N0.30, among others.

A turnover of 1.4 billion shares valued at N9.9 billion in 16,934 deals was recorded last week, in contrast to a turnover of 1.3 billion shares valued at N11.48 billion exchanged penultimate week in 18,940 deals.

The Banking sector was the most active during the week under review , measured by turnover volume with 556.2 million shares valued at N3.96 billion exchanged by investors in 9,276 deals.

United Bank for Africa Plc recorded the highest patronage in the sub-sector trading 116.49 million shares valued at N379.71 million in 1,039 deals, Zenith Bank Plc followed with the exchange of 79.71 million shares valued at N963.52 million in 1,467 deals and Access Bank Plc recorded 74.92 million shares valued at N379.21 million in 581 deals.

The Insurance sector followed on the sectorial analysis with a turnover of 500.5 million shares valued at N780.9 million in 483 deals. Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc was the most sought after in the sub-sector trading 290.44 million shares valued at N625.53 million in 40 deals, Niger Insurance Plc followed with the exchange of N94.58 million shares valued at N47.34 million in 51 deals and Continental Reinsurance Plc recorded 65.98 million shares valued at N73.9 million in 31 deals.