Buying Interest in Guinness, Others Boost Stock Market by 0.24%

Kayode Tokede

Investors positive sentiments continued yesterday on the stock market of The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) as buying interest in Guinness Nigeria plc and 16 others drove the All-Share Index 0.24 per cent higher.

The All Share Index (ASI) rose by 131.64 basis  points or 0.24 per cent to close at 54,496.31 points. Accordingly, investors gained N72 billion in value as market capitalisation went up to N29.683 trillion.

 As measured by market breadth, market sentiment was negative, as 19 stocks lost relative to 17 gainers. Tripple Gee & Company recorded the highest price gain of 9.49 per cent to close at N1.50, per share.

Courteville Business Solutions followed with a gain 8.33 per cent to close at 52 kobo, while Chams Holding Company rose by 7.41 per cent to close at 29 kobo, per share.

Guinness Nigeria went up by 6.35 per cent to close at N67.00, while Prestige Assurance appreciated by 5.00 per cent to close at 42 kobo, per share. On the other hand, International Energy Insurance led the losers’ chart by 6.20 per cent to close at N1.21, per share. Livestock Feeds followed with a decline of 5.45 per cent to close at N1.04, while Unity Bank went down by 3.77 to close at 51 kobo, per share.

Fidson Healthcare lost 3.75 per cent to close at N9.50, while Transnational Corporation shed 3.10 per cent to close at N1.25, per share.

The total volume traded increased by 26.3 per cent to 177.924 million shares, worth N5.693 billion, and traded in 3,617 deals.

Transactions in the shares of BUA Foods topped the activity chart with 50.009 million shares valued at N3.720 billion. United Bank for Africa (UBA) followed with 25.726 million shares worth N214.875 million, while Access Holdings traded 11.373 million shares valued at N104.667 million.

Sterling Bank traded 8.301 million shares valued at N12.736 million, while Computer Warehouse Group sold six million shares worth N4.933 million.