Stock Market Up N241bn on Investors’ Demand for Seplat, 30 Others
Kayode Tokede
Positive sentiments continued in the stock market segment of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) yesterday as investors’ interest in Seplat Energy Plc and 30 others triggered N241 billion increase in the overall market performance.
The NGX All-Share Index rose by 418.83 basis points or 0.42 per cent, to close at 98,987.42 basis points from 98,568.59 basis points it opened for trading.
Similarly, the overall market capitalisation value gained N241 billion to close at N56.882 trillion from N56.641 trillion it closed the previous day.
Accordingly, the NGX ASI Month-till-Date (MtD) and Year-till-Date (YTD) gains advanced to +2.5per cent and +32.4per cent, respectively.
From a sectoral standpoint, the NGX Oil & Gas index gained 3.3per cent and NGX Consumer Goods index appreciated by 0.5per cent, while the NGX Banking Index dropped by 0.7per cent and NGX Insurance index was down by 0.4per cent. The NGX Industrial Goods index closed flat.
Meanwhile, the market breadth closed positive, as 31 stocks gained relative to 24 losers. Flour Mills and Seplat Energy recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent each to close at N60.50 and N4,103.10, while Ellah Lakes followed with a gain of 9.97 per cent to close at N4.08, per share.
Honeywell Flour Mills appreciated by 9.87 per cent to close at N5.01, while ABC Transport rose by 9.57 per cent to close at N1.26, per share.
On the other hand, Multiverse Mining & Exploration led the losers’ chart by 9.90 per cent to close at N9.10, per share. Caverton Offshore Support Group followed with a decline of 9.86 per cent to close at N3.29, while AXA Mansard Insurance declined by 6.78 per cent to close at N5.50, per share.
FBN Holdings (FBNH) shed 6.45 per cent to close at N29.00, while Fidelity Bank lost 6.40 per cent to close at N15.35, per share.
The total volume of trade declined by 20.93 per cent to 603.302 million units, valued at N12.575 billion, and exchanged in 9,723 deals. Transactions in the shares of Fidelity Bank topped the activity chart with 121.734 million shares valued at N2.069 billion. FBNH followed with 108.771 million shares worth N3.456 billion, while Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) traded 82.588 million shares valued at N919.909 million.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) traded 41.920 million shares valued at N1.088 billion, while AXA Mansard Insurance transacted 24.644 million shares worth N146.131 million.
