By Kayode Tokede
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index and market capitalization depreciated by 1.18 per cent to close the week at 39,331.61 basis points and N20.578 trillion respectively.
Notably, sell-offs in Nestle Nigeria Plc (-6.9per cent), Flour Mill of Nigeria Plc (-6.4 per cent), NB (-4.8 per cent) and MTN Nigeria (-2.3 per cent), drove the weekly loss.
Similarly, the sectoral performance was broadly negative as the Industrial Goods index (+1.4 per cent) emerged as the week’s sole gainer. The Consumer Goods (-6.3 per cent) led the losers’ chart, followed by Insurance (-5.0 per cent), Oil and Gas (-2.2per cent) and Banking (-1.9 per cent) indices.
The NSE weekly market report stated that, “A total turnover of 2.092 billion shares worth N29.744 billion in 24,238 deals were traded in the week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 1.930 billion shares valued at N20.656 billion that exchanged hands upper week in 24,687 deals.
“The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.633 billion shares valued at N10.727 billion traded in 13,269 deals; thus contributing 78.06 per cent and 36.06 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
“The Consumer Goods Industry followed with 92.009 million shares worth N4.521 billion in 4,168 deals. The third place was Oil & Gas Industry, with a turnover of 91.340 million shares worth N10.527 billion in 1,471 deals.
“Trading in the top-three equities namely Wema Bank Plc, Axamansard Insurance Plc and Zenith Bank Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 903.561 million shares worth N5.564 billion in 4,017 deals, contributing 43.19 per cent and 18.71 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
“A total of 56,069 units valued at N411.581 million were traded this week in 12 deals compared with a total of 159,764 units valued at N1.251 billion transacted last week in 20 deals.
“A total of 4,550 units of Bonds valued at N4.857 million were traded in the week in 8 deals compared with a total of 21,438 units valued at N23.282 million transacted last week in 18 deals.”
Analysts at Cordros capital stated that, “We expect investors to take advantage of the significant moderation in the share prices to make a re-entry in dividend-paying stocks in the week ahead. However, we believe investors will remain reluctant to leave gains in the market.
“As such, we expect intermittent profit-taking to continue due to uncertainties about the direction of yields in the FI market.
“As a result, we think the market will be choppy. Notwithstanding, we advise investors to take positions in only fundamentally justified stocks as the unimpressive macro story remains a significant headwind for corporate earnings.”