In a brief yet impactful trading week marked by Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, Nigeria’s equities market closed in the red as the market shed a total of N103 billion in market capitalization.
Investors navigated through a condensed trading schedule that spanned just three days, with profit-taking activities predominantly affecting key sectors despite selective bargain hunting in others.
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) All-Share Index (ASI) closed the week at 99,743.05 points, reflecting a decline from the previous week’s high of 99,925.29 points.
Similarly, market capitalization dipped to N56.423 trillion, down from N56.526 trillion recorded in the preceding trading period.
Throughout the truncated trading sessions, the market experienced two days of negative closes, contrasting with one day of flat performance.
Analysts attributed the decline primarily to profit-taking activities across critical sectors such as insurance and banking, which overshadowed gains observed in oil & gas, consumer goods, and industrial stocks.
The NGX Oil & Gas Index saw a marginal decrease of 0.21 percent, while the NGX Banking Index dipped by 0.04 percent.
The NGX Insurance Index recorded the steepest decline, falling by 1.41 percent during the week.
On the other hand, the NGX Consumer Goods Index rose by 0.29 percent, and the NGX Industrial Index saw a modest increase of 0.10 percent.
Despite the downturn in market performance for the week, the year-to-date (YtD) return moderated to 33.39 percent, indicating a resilient overall performance in 2024.
Month-to-date (MtD), the market managed a slight uptick of 0.43 percent, underscoring the mixed sentiment and cautious trading observed among investors.
Market analysts and stakeholders emphasized the impact of profit-taking in driving the market’s decline and suggested that the upcoming weeks could see renewed activity depending on economic indicators and investor sentiment.
As Nigeria’s equities market continues to navigate various economic dynamics, stakeholders remain optimistic about potential recovery and growth opportunities amid evolving market conditions.
The holiday-shortened trading week underscored the volatility and resilience of Nigeria’s equities market, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for investors in the coming sessions.