BY MICHAEL EBOH, CHINEDU IBEABUCHI & WILLIAMS JIMOH

A significant improvement was recorded in transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, last week, as the value of listed equities and value of shares traded both appreciated by N65.377 billion and 477.98 per cent respectively.

In particular, equities’ value, represented by the market capitalization and All-share index, rose by 0.96 per cent. The capitalization closed the week at N6.895 trillion, up from N6.829 trillion at which it opened the week. The index rose by 204.8 basis points to close the week at 21,599.57 points from 21,394.77 points.

Equity trading, driven by transactions in the shares of Union Bank Nigeria Plc, appreciated by 477.98 per cent as investors’ exchanged 5.381 billion shares valued at N22.467 billion was recorded in 17,019 deals, compared to the previous week’s turnover of 930.677 million shares valued at N6.327 billion in 17,744 deals.

The Financial Services recorded the highest transaction in the week under review, accounting for 91.04 per cent of the market turnover, with 4.899 billion shares valued at N18.920 billion in 9,520 deals.

The Banking sub-sector recorded the highest patronage in the Financial Services sector, accounting for 97.51 per cent of the sector’s turnover and 88.78 per cent of the total market turnover, with 4.777 billion shares valued at N18.812 billion in 8,778 deals.

Union Bank Nigeria Plc emerged the most  active in the sub-sector, trading 4.329 billion shares valued at N15.847 billion in 234 deals; Diamond Bank Plc followed with a turnover of 69.83 million shares valued at N150.247 million in 220 deals and United Bank for Africa Plc recorded 49.499 million shares valued at N181.961 million in 715 deals.

The Conglomerates sub-sector, followed on the sectorial analysis, accounting for 5.58 per cent of the market turnover, with 300.112 million shares valued at N368.859 million in 1,130 deals.

Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, Transcorp, Plc dominated trading in the sector, trading 298.561 million shares valued at N332.756 million in 965 deals; UAC Nigeria Plc followed with the exchange of 1.127 million shares valued at N35.674 million in 146 deals and A.G Leventis Plc recorded 405,345 shares valued at N336.649 in 14 deals.

Thirty-one companies recorded share price appreciation, led by Nestle Nigeria Plc, with a gain of N21.25 to close at N446.25 per share from N425 per share at which it started the week; Guinness Nigeria Plc followed with a gain of N8 to close at N228 per share and Total Nigeria Plc garnered N5 to close at N125 per share.

On the contrary, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc led 34 other companies on the price losers’ category, dropping by N2 to close at N57 per share from N59 per share at which it opened; PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc followed with a loss of N1.50 to close at N25.50 per share from N27 per share, while Julius Berger Nigeria Plc dipped by N1.45 to close at N27.63 per share.