INVESTORS STAKE N24B ON BONDS, EQUITIES IN THREE DAYS

TRANSACTIONS at the Over-the-Counter Bond market and equities sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange closed the year on a bullish note as investors stake a total of N24.04 billion on bonds and equities in three days.

Precisely, a turnover of 20.85 million units worth 19.1 billion was recorded last week at the bond market, in contrast to a total of 124.66 million units valued at N129 billion traded in the previous week.

In the equities sector, a total of 684.14 million shares worth N4.94 billion changed hands, compared with a total of 2.02 billion shares valued at N12.43billion exchanged in the preceding week.

Although there were no transactions in the Federal Government Development Stocks, State Government Bonds and Industrial Loans/Preference Stocks sectors, the 4 per cent FGN April 2015 (7 FGN Bond 2015 Series 2) was the most active in volume terms with a traded volume of 8.2 million units valued at N6.7 billion, followed by 16 per cent FGN June 2013 (3rd FGN Bond 2013 Series 10) with 7million units valued at N7 billion.

In the equities sector, the banking sub-sector was the most active during the week under review with a turnover of 338.82 million shares worth N2.98 billion exchanged by investors, followed by the insurance sub-sector with 37.13 million shares valued at N92.59 million, while the information and communication technology sub-sector ranked third with69.2 million shares worth N46 million.

Further review of activities in the sub-sector showed that the volume in the banking sub-sector was largely driven by activity in the shares of Zenith Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc.

Trading in the shares of the four banks accounted for 154.44 million shares, representing 45.6 per cent and 22.6 per cent of the sub-sector's turnover and total volume traded during the week, respectively.

In the insurance sub-sector, the volume in the sub-sector was boosted by a combined 43.2 million shares of Continental Reinsurance Plc and Regency Alliance Insurance Company Plc, while the volume in the information and communication technology sub-sector was largely buoyed by 54.7 million shares of Chams Plc worth N27.3 million.

With price gains out-weighing price losses, the NSE All-Share Index appreciated by 81.36 points or 0.33 per cent to close fro the year on Friday at 24,770.52 points, while the market capitalisation of the 201 First -Tier equities increased to N7.91 trillion.

Similarly, the NSE-30 Index appreciated by 11.09 points or 1.03 per cent to close at 1,081.95 points. Last week, the All-Share Index and NSE-30 Indices appreciated by one per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively.

For the sectors, three of the four sectorial indices appreciated during the week compared with three that so appreciated during the preceding week. The NSE Food/Beverage Index appreciated by 7.36 points or 0.95 per cent to close at 778.47 points, the NSE Banking Index appreciated by 2.35 points or 0.6 per cent to close at 399.08 points, the NSE Insurance Index appreciated by 12.94 points or 8.55 per cent to close at 168.34 points and The NSE Oil/Gas Index was at par with the preceding week's index closing at 338.85 points.

On the week's price movement chart, both Lafarge WAPCO Cement Nigeria Plc and Unilever Nigeria Plc led the bulls, up by 170 kobo each to close at N40.70 per share and N26.70 per share, respectively.

Similarly, Presco Plc, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc, and UACN Property Development Company Plc all added 92 kobo, 80 kobo, 70 kobo, 53 kobo, and 49 kobo each to close at N 6.85, N16.80, N15.20, N15.49, and N16.51 respectively.

On the other hand, Nigeria Bottling Company Plc topped the week's price losers' table, dropping by 223 kobo to close at N36.07 per share, followed by Nestle Nigeria Plc with a loss of 195 kobo to close at N368.55 per share, while Cadbury Nigeria Plc shed 118 kobo to close at N25.62 per share.