By Seun Ibiyemi
Investors in the Nigerian equities market gained N155bn at the close of trading on Monday, driven by renewed interest in select stocks.
The market upturn was buoyed by price appreciation in Thomas Wyatt Nigeria, Skye Shelter Fund Plc, and LivingTrust Mortgage Bank, among others, lifting the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) to 142,377.56 points from 142,133.02 points recorded on Friday.
As a result, the equity market capitalisation rose to N90.1 trillion, compared with N89.9 trillion at the close of the previous trading session.
Despite the gains, market breadth closed negative, with 25 stocks appreciating against 36 decliners, while 86 remained unchanged in 28,114 deals.
Thomas Wyatt Nigeria, Skye Shelter Fund Plc, and LivingTrust Mortgage Bank led the gainers’ chart with 10 per cent, 10 per cent, and 9.90 per cent growth in share prices to close at N3.63, N346.55, and N5.66, respectively, from N3.30, N315.05, and N5.15 per share.
Conversely, AXA Mansard Insurance, University Press Plc, and Learn Africa were the top losers, shedding 10 per cent, 9.85 per cent, and 9.72 per cent each, to settle at N14.40, N5.40, and N6.50 per share, down from N16.00, N5.99, and N7.20, respectively.
On the activity chart, First HoldCo Plc dominated the volume index with 47 million shares traded in 426 deals, followed by Ellah Lakes Plc with 24 million shares in 673 deals, and Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc, which recorded 21 million shares in 122 deals.
In terms of value, First HoldCo Plc also led with transactions worth N1.4 billion, while Aradel Holdings and Zenith Bank Plc followed closely with equities valued at N1.3 billion each.