The domestic equities market on Wednesday, closed on a positive note as price appreciation in BUA Cement Plc and 17 others pushed the market major index by 0.17 per cent.
The All-Share Index rose by 115.62 basis points or 0.17 per cent, to close at 67,100.49 basis points. Similarly, the overall market capitalisation value gained N64 billion to close at N36.865 trillion.
The market positive performance was driven by price appreciation in large and medium capitalised stocks which are; BUA Cement, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN), Transnational Corporation (Transcorp), Thomas Wyatt Nigeria and Flour Mills of Nigeria.
For today’s trading Afrinvest Limited said, “We anticipate mild gains driven by improved investor sentiment.”
Also, Investor sentiment, as measured by market breadth closed positive as 18 stocks advanced, relative to 17 stocks that declined. Thomas Wyatt Nigeria recorded the highest price gain of 9.81 percent to close at N2.35, per share. DAAR Communications followed with a gain of 9.52 percent to close at 23 kobo and Cornerstone Insurance up by 6.45 per cent to close at N1.65, per share.
Transcorp appreciated by 5.41 percent to close at N6.43, while Union Bank of Nigeria rose by 5.30 percent to close at N6.95, per share.
On the other hand, Omatek Ventures led the losers’ chart by 8.33 percent to close at 44 kobo, per share. Oando followed with a decline of 8.08 percent to close at N9.10, while Africa Prudential lost 7.80 percent to close at N6.50, per share.
Caverton Offshore Support Group dipped by 6.92 percent to close at N1.48, while Consolidated Hallmark Insurance depreciated by 6.25 percent to close at N1.05, per share.
The total volume traded increased by 59.40 percent to 410.321 million units, valued at N4.457 billion, and exchanged in 5,637 deals. Transactions in the shares of NEIMETH International Pharmaceuticals topped the activity chart with 163.201 million shares valued at N259.494 million. Access Holdings followed with 38.974 million shares worth N611.819 million, while Zenith Bank traded 32.273 million shares valued at N1.019 billion.
Fidelity Bank traded 23.523 million shares valued at N194.178 million, while United Bank for Africa (UBA) transacted 19.822 million shares worth N341.185 million.