Trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) remained bullish for the second day yesterday as gains by blue-chip stocks lifted the All-Share Index (ASI) by 0.39 per cent to close at 41,740.52.
As a result, the year-to-date (YTD) growth of the NSE ASI hit one per cent yesterday.
Trading had resumed for the week on a positive note the previous day when ASI appreciated by 1.09 per cent. The rally continued yesterday as 33 stocks added value compared with 26 others that depreciated.
Apart from the price rally, the value of shares traded also rose by 45 per cent to N7.76 billion invested in 622.38 million shares in 7,921 deals, from N5.34 billion committed to 519.343 million shares in 5,917 deals.
Nigerian Breweries Plc led the price gainers in absolute terms, garnering N4.98 to close at N175 per share. MRS Oil Nigeria Plc trailed with a gain of N3.00 to be at N70 per share, while Dangote Cement Plc, the most capitalised equity on the NSE, chalked up 75 kobo to be at N228.25.
Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc gained 64 kobo, while Guinness Nigeria Plc and UAC of Nigeria Plc garnered 60 kobo and 50kobo to close at N110.65, N180.60 and N60.20 respectively.
Conversely, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc led the price losers with N9.00 to close at N675 per share. CAP Plc trailed with a loss of N1.50 to be at N40.50, while Okomu Oil Palm Plc shed 99 kobo to close at N32.26 per share. Ashaka Cement Plc went down by 93 kobo to close at N29.32 per share.
Meanwhile, three most actively traded stocks were yesterday were : Transcorp (203.85 million shares), Oando (83.30 million shares and WAPIC Insurance Plc (45.80 million shares, while the most actively traded sectors were: Financial services (256.13 million shares), conglomerates (204.52 million shares) and oil and gas (106.15 million shares).
