Respite for Investors as Year-end Rally Pushes Market Capitalization Up by N612billion

Trading activities at the Nigerian Stock Market in the last trading week of the year 2015 brought a huge relief to investors on the bourse as equities soared by N612 billion in three days.

Although, it was a brief trading week as the Federal Government of Nigeria declared Monday, 28th December, 2015 and Friday, 1st January, 2016 as Public Holidays to celebrate Boxing day and the New Year respectively.

Meanwhile, trading on the floor of the bourse recorded a turnover of 2.965 billion shares worth N9.364 billion in 7,174 deals in contrast to a total of 743.117 million shares valued at N6.591 billion that exchanged hands last week in 8,325 deals.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 2.760 billion shares valued at N5.174 billion traded in 4,103 deals; thus contributing 93.06 per cent and 55.25 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The Services Industry followed with 66.805 million shares worth N203.043 million in 140 deals. The third place was occupied by the ICT Industry with a turnover of 42.737 million shares worth N21.730 million in 15 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely; African Alliance Insurance Company Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and FBN Holdings Plc. (measured by volume) accounted for 1.998 billion shares worth N2.585 billion in 882 deals, contributing 67.36 per cent and 27.60 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were a total of 60,171 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N484,396.36 executed in 20 deals, compared with a total of 721 units valued at N250,859.50 transacted last week in 19 deals.

However, a total of 75,750 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N128.722 million were traded this week in 1 deal.

Index movement shows that the NSE All-Share Index and market capitalization appreciated by 6.59 per cent and 6.62 per cent to close the week at 28,642.25 points and N9.851 trillion respectively.

Similarly, all other Indices finished higher during the week, with the exception of the NSE ASeM Index that closed flat.