By Providence Obuh

Activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week, closed on a bearish note, as equities value represented by the market capitalisation dipped by N62.91 billion.

In particular, the capitalisation dropped by   0.79 per cent to close at N7.919 trillion from N7.982 trillion at which it opened penultimate week.

Another key performance indices the All share index slide 0.96 per cent or 241.69 bases points to close at 24,800.47 points from 25,042.16 points at which it opened.

Dangote Cement Plc led 38 other stocks on the losers’ table, dropping by N6.75 to close at N128.25 per share, Ashaka Cement Plc followed with a loss of N1.99 to close at N22.60 per share and African Petroleum Plc dipped by N1.31 per share to close at N24.94 per share.

Other share price losers include: Guaranty Trust Bank Plc N1.00, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc N1.00, Longman Nigeria Plc N0.80, Ecobank Transnational Incorporation Plc N0.74, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc N0.61, Okomu Oil Palm Plc N0.60, International Breweries Plc N0.51, among others.

Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc led 32 other stocks on the gainers’ table with a gain of N12.52 to close at N146.52 per share, Nigerian Breweries Plc followed with a gain of N0.92 to close at N77.00 per share and First City Monument Bank Plc garnered N0.70 to close at N7.65 per share.

Other share price gainers’ include: Union Bank of Nigeria Plc N0.64, Oceanic Bank International Plc N0.61, Afribank Nigeria Plc N0.57, Zenith Bank Plc N0.53, Intercontinental Bank Plc N0.51, Sterling Bank Plc N0.49, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc N0.39, among others.

Equity trading appreciated by 11.1 per cent, as a turnover of 1.6 billion shares valued at  N11.1 billion was recorded in 29,001 deals in the week under review, in contrast to penultimate week turnover of 1.8 billion shares valued at N43.43 billion in 31,904 deals.

The Banking sub-sector was the most active on the sectorial analysis accounting for 50.87 per cent of the market turnover with 814.4 million shares valued at N6.3 billion in 15,696 deals.  Zenith Bank Plc recorded the highest patronage in the sub-sector trading 107.55 million shares valued at N1.48 billion in 2,224 deals, Oceanic Bank International Plc followed with the exchange of 103.76 million shares valued at N290.77 million in 491 deals and Access Bank Plc recorded 81.19 million shares valued at N678.18 million in 1,093 deals

The Insurance sub-sector followed on the sectorial analysis accounting for 16.19 per cent of the market turnover with 259.75 million shares valued at N184.02 million in 1,938 deals.  Lasaco Assurance Plc dominated activities of the sub-sector trading 91.88 million shares valued at N45.95 million in 260 deals,  African Alliance Insurance Plc, followed with the exchange of 30.33 million shares valued at N15.16 million in 23 deals and AIICO Insurance Plc recorded 28.45 million shares valued at N28.34 million in 936 deals