- Stock Index Gains 0.51%, FCMB, Skye Bank Lead
The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index closed positive by 0.51 per cent at the close of trading on Monday, driving the year-to-date return up to 12.75 per cent.
The market volume and value declined by 47.62 per cent and 55.74 per cent, accordingly, with 26 price advancers and losers.
A total of 730.618 million shares valued at N6.301bn exchanged hands in 7,964 deals.
FCMB Group Plc shares appreciated by 9.84 per cent to become the top gainer. The counter, thus, closed at N2.79.
It was closely followed by Skye Bank Plc, International Breweries Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc and Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, which appreciated respectively by 8.33 per cent, five per cent, five per cent and five per cent.
However, Eterna Plc shares emerged as the top loser, depreciating by 6.82 per cent to settle at N6.15. Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc and Cutix Plc followed, sliding respectively by five per cent, 4.99 per cent, 4.90 per cent and 4.85 per cent.
The banking sector was the top performing sector, advancing by 1.06 per cent. On the flip side, the NSE industrial goods, the NSE insurance, the NSE oil/gas and the NSE food/beverage indices declined respectively by 1.56 per cent, 0.98 per cent, 0.80 per cent and 0.05 per cent.
Commenting on the market performance, analysts at Meristem Securities, in a post, said, “It was an impressive day in the market, as the bulls and bears battled for supremacy.
“Despite the market breadth, the market closed up in favour of the bulls. We attribute the market activities to the notable performance of the banking sector, as it accounted for more than half (55.58 per cent) of the market volume and was the only sector that closed up today.”
