By Philemon Adedeji
Equities market on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) was mixed yesterday, albeit with a bullish tilt as the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) closed 0.04 per cent higher to close at 55,822.14 basis points. Gains in Dangote Cement (+1.05 per cent) and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) (+0.57 per cent) offset the decline in MTNN (-0.48 per cent) and WAPCO Insurance.
As a result, the market remains on track for a weekly gain. The year-to-date (YTD) return rose to 8.92 per cent, while the market capitalisation rose by N12 billion to close at N30.409 trillion.
The market performance was driven by gain recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks which are Transcorp, Royalex Exchange, Dangote Cement and others.
The breakdown of yesterday’s market performance showed that trade turnover closed lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 13.42 per cent.
Yesterday, the trade volume increased by 311,476,310 million shares valued at N3.093 billion were exchanged in 3,627 deals.
TRANSCORP led the volume chart with 179.84million units traded while GTCO led the value chart in deals worth N1.098 billion.
On the leaders table, Transcorp led as the highest price gainer which appreciated by 8.66 per cent to close at N1.35 per share, closely followed by Royalex Exchange which rose significantly by 5.63 per cent to close at N0.75 per share, while Champion Breweries went up by 4.60 per cent to close at N5.00 per share.
Living Trust Mortgage Bank which recorded as the last fourth loser grew by 4.21 per cent to close at N2. 97 per cent, while Chams Plc which recorded as the last fifth gainer appreciated by 4.00 per cent to close N0.26 per cent.
However, on the laggards logs, NCR and Conoil Plc led the losers with 9.93 per cent each to close at N2.63 and N42.20 per share respectively, while UPL which recorded as the last third loser went down by 9.00 per cent to close at N1. 82 per share.
Prestige Assurance depreciated by 8.89 per cent to close at N0.41 per share.
Ardova oil which recorded as the last fifth loser dipped by 8.33 per cent to close at N15.95 per share.
Transaction in the shares of Transnational Corporation topped the activities chart with 179.841 million shares worth N239.244 million, followed by Guaranty Trust Holding Company trading 41.396 million shares valued at N1.098 billion, while Zenith Bank transacted 18.492 million shares valued at N480.368 million.
Stanbic IBTC accounted 7.950 million shares worth N317.984 million, while Sterling Bank sold 6.731 million shares valued at N10.101 million.