The Naira on Monday further appreciated at the official market, trading at N1,354.21 to the dollar.

Data from the official trading platform of the FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), showed that the Naira gained N46.19.

This represents a 3.29 percent gain when compared to the previous trading date on Friday, May 3, when it exchanged at N1,400.40 to a dollar.

However, the total daily turnover reduced to 84.83 million dollars on Monday, down from 201.88 million dollars recorded on Friday.

Meanwhile, at the Investor’s and Exporter’s (I&E) window, the Naira traded between N1,441.00 and N1,285.00 against the dollar.

Investors in the Nigerian equities market started the trading week with a loss of N499bn.

This follows the tumble in the share prices of stocks like Airtel Africa, Berger Paints, Industrial Medical Gases and International Energy Insurance.

Similarly, the NGX-All-Share Index ASI decreased to 98,703.68 from 99,587.25 recorded at the close of the previous trading day.

After five hours of trading at the capital market, the equity capitalisation decreased to N55.823 trillion from N56.323 trillion posted by the bourse on Friday last week.

The market breadth was positive as 38 stocks advanced, 18 stocks declined, while 65 stocks remained unchanged in 10, 624 deals.

Cornerstone Insurance and Guinea Insurance led other price gainers with 10 percent growth each to close at N1.98 and N0.33 from their prices of N1.80 and N0.30k respectively.

On the flipside, Airtel Africa led other price decliners as it shed 10 percent off its price to trade at N1980 from N2200. Berger Paints, Industrial Medical Gases and International Energy Insurance also shed 9.85 percent, 9.82 percent and 9.35 percent respectively.

On the volume index, banking stocks dominated with Access Holdings Plc trading 98.236 million units of its shares in 1,209 deals, valued at N1.760 billion. UBA traded 40.395 million units of its shares in 842 deals, valued at N1.071 billion and GTCO which traded 35.905 million units of its shares in 740 deals, valued at N1.493 billion.

Like the volume index, banking stocks dominated the value index with Access Holdings Plc recording the highest value for the day trading stocks worth N1.760 billion in 1,209 deals followed by GTCO which traded equities worth N1.493 billion in 740 deals and UBA which traded stocks worth N1.071bn in 842 deals.

FBN Holdings Plc has topped 41 other advanced equities to pull the Nigerian Exchange Ltd.(NGX) market indices up by 1.46 percent, week-on-week, making investors gain N811 billion.

The market, having opened for four days in the week, following the May Day holiday, had FBN Holdings leading the gainers’ table by 32.68 percent to close at N27 per share.

Sterling Financial Holdings followed by 27.75 percent to close at N4.88, while UACN gained 24.60 percent to close at N15.45 per share.

Julius Berger added 23.76 to close at N72.40, while Flour Mills rose by 20.66 percent to close at N36.80 per share.

Conversely, Nascon Allied Industries Plc led the losers’ table by 17.03 percent to close at N43.60, University Press trailed by 16.67 percent to close N2.05 per share.

Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals shed 14.14 percent to close at N1.70, Berger Paints Plc declined by 9.87 percent to close at N13.70 and Vitafoam Nigeria lost 9.81 percent to close at N17 per share.

Meanwhile, 42 equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than 27 equities in the previous week.

Thirty-six equities depreciated in price, lower than 43 in the previous week, while 76 equities remained unchanged, lower than 84 recorded in the previous week.

Consequently, the All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 1.46 percent to close the week at 99,587.25 and N56.323 trillion, respectively, in contrast to 98,152.91 and N55.512 trillion posted last week.

Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of NGX Consumer Goods, NGX Oil and Gas and NGX Industrial Goods which depreciated by 0.26, 0.68 and 0.36 percent, respectively, while NGX ASeM and NGX Sovereign Bond indices closed flat.

Meanwhile, a total turnover of 1.941 billion shares worth N32.644 billion in 35,807 deals was traded this week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 1.839 billion shares, valued at N34.258 billion, that exchanged hands last week in 37,528 deals.

The financial services industry measured by volume led the activity chart with 1.496 billion shares valued at N22.453 billion traded in 19,225 deals, thus contributing 77.08 and 68.78 percent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.

The consumer goods industry followed with 144.722 million shares worth N5.063 billion in 4,966 deals.

In third place was the conglomerates industry, with a turnover of 109.978 million shares worth N1.539 billion in 2,064 deals.

Trading in the top three equities, namely Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Holdings Company Plc and Access Holdings Plc, measured by volume, accounted for 898.940 million shares worth N14.314 billion in 5,518 deals.

These contributed 46.31 and 43.85 percent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.