DAILY STOCK WATCH:Equities Market opens positive as ASI rises by +1.20 %, Forte Oil Plc leads Gainers

By Dennis Okonne

Trading activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange opens on a positive note as the All Share Index (ASI) went up marginally to close at 33,249.19 basis points from 32,853.49 basis points previously, translating to an increase of +1.20% and gain of 395.7 basis points. The market capitalization equally leaps to N11.350 trillion from N11.215 Trillion.  Top of the Gainers are Forte Oil Plc with a gain of N9.10 kobo to close at N191.10 Kobo. Seplat Plc rose by N8.81 kobo to close at N340.06 kobo. This was followed by Guinness Nigeria Plc which chalk-up N7.67 kobo gain to close at N161.17k; Dangote Cement Plc appreciates by N4.00 kobo to close at N174.00 kobo while Cadbury Nigeria Plc grows by N1.35 kobo to close at N36.50 kobo in the process.

Laggards at the close of trading were led by Mobil Nigeria Plc dropping N3.85 kobo to close at N155.00 kobo. This was followed by Nestle Nigeria Plc which depreciates by N2.25 kobo to close at N889.20 kobo; Nigerian Breweries Plc dips by N0.81 kobo to close at N147.20 kobo; Glaxosmithkline Plc slides by N0.50 kobo to close at N43.50 kobo while Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) Plc loses N0.30 kobo to close at N10.20 kobo in the process. There were 30 gainers, 20 losers and 59 unchanged equities on Monday.

Most traded stocks by volume on Monday are Access Bank Plc which traded 94,642,313 million shares. This was followed by Oando Plc which traded 54,732,110 million shares; FBN Holdings Plc traded 29,941,485 million shares; Fidelity Bank Plc traded 21,798,964 million shares while Sterling Bank Plc traded 18,382,824 million shares. From the foregoing, voluminous transaction were predominant in the Banking stocks and thereby lifted the Banking sector volume. Stocks from the Banking sub-sector of the Financial Services sector were among the best performing shares on Monday.

Total number of Deals stood at 3,982 deals; the volume of transactions was 351.512 million units, valued at N5, 237,792,588.62k billion. Market Capitalization of equities also rose to N11.350 trillion from N11.215 trillion previously.

Snapshot of Stock Market:

• ASI= 33,249.19 Basis points
• Deals= 3,982
• Volume = 351,512,666
• Value= N5,237,792,588.62 K
• Cap= N11.350 Trillion.