A new report of the summary of trading activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed how the nation’s equities market depreciated by N687bn in August just as the market capitalisation also closed downwards at N12.722tn.
The NSE capitalisation as of July 31, 2018 was N13.409tn.
The All-Share Index of the Exchange also dropped to 34,848.45 basis points in August from 37,017.78 basis points recorded at the close of trading in July.
As of the close of trading on Friday, 384.893 million shares valued at N9.790bn were traded in 4,070 deals.
The NSE All Share Index closed negative on Friday, declining by 1.63 per cent. Out of a total of 119 stocks traded, 18 advanced, 22 declined, while 79 remained unchanged.
In the last week of the month under review, the financial services industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.218 billion shares valued at N12.634bn traded in 10,132 deals; thus contributing 79.42 per cent and 54.87 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.
The conglomerates industry followed with 70.807 million shares worth N120.611m in 803 deals. The third place was occupied by the consumer goods industry with a turnover of 58.505 million shares worth N3.422bn in 2,624 deals.
Trading in the top three equities namely – Nem Insurance Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc (measured by volume) – accounted for 512.615 million shares worth N1.928bn in 1,818 deals, contributing 33.44 per cent and 8.38 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.
An analysis of the four weekly market reports released by the NSE for August showed that the top price ‘decliner’ in the month was Secure Electronic Technology Plc, which was listed for three weeks, making it the most frequent decliner on the chart.
Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc, Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc, Ikeja Hotel Plc, Skye Bank Plc, and Union Diagnostics and Clinical Services Plc were all listed twice in the month.
The top price gainers in the month included Niger Insurance Plc, which was listed as a top gainer for three weeks, followed by Portland Paints and Products Nigeria Plc, which was listed for two weeks.
International Breweries Plc, Aiico Insurance Plc, Eterna Plc, NEM Insurance Co (Nig) Plc, and Newrest ASL were also listed as top price gainers for two weeks, of the four weeks in August.
