BY MICHAEL EBOH & WILLIAM JIMOH

Investors’ holding on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, appreciated last week by N163.244 billion as the market capitalisation and All-share index both rose by 2.37 per cent each.

The capitalisation closed the week at N7.059 trillion from N6.895 trillion at which it opened, while the index shed 511.34 basis points to close the week at 22,110.91 points from 21,599.57 points at which it opened.

Nestle Nigeria Plc led 38 other companies on the price gainers’ category in the week under review, rising by N51.79 to close at N498.04 per share from N446.25 per share at which it opened.

Total Nigeria Plc followed with a share price gain of N5 to close at N130 per share from N125 per share, while Nigerian Breweries Plc garnered N4.47 to close at N105.70 per share.

On the contrary, Guinness Nigeria Plc led 29 other companies on the price losers’ table, dropping by N3 to close at N225 per share, from N228 per share at which it opened; Dangote Cement Plc followed with a loss of N2 to close at N108 per share and Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc dipped by N1.90 to close at N131 per share.

Equity trading, however, depreciated by 81.29 per cent, as investors exchanged 1.007 billion shares valued at N8.507 billion in 18,352 deals, compared to the previous week’s turnover of 5.381 billion shares valued at N22.467 billion in 17,019 deals.

The Financial Services sector, driven by transactions in the Banking sub-sector, recorded the highest transaction in the sectorial analysis, accounting for 69.22 per cent of the total market turnover, with 697.202 million shares valued at N4.397 billion in 10,854 deals.

The Banking sub-sector accounted for 55.21 per cent of the total market turnover, with 556.01 million shares valued at N4.309 billion in 9,883 deals. First Bank Nigeria Plc’s shares were the most traded in the sub-sector, with a turnover of 87.256 million shares valued at N970.355 million in 2,526 deals; United Bank for Africa Plc followed with the exchange of 83.938 million shares valued at N330.885 million 1,002 deals and Zenith Bank Plc recorded 68.198 million shares valued at N980.748 million 1,099 deals.

The Consumer Goods sector followed on the sectorial analysis, accounting for 7.65 per cent of the market turnover, with 76.921 million shares valued at N2.973 billion in 3,398 deals.

Cadbury Nigeria Plc in the Food Products — Diversified sub-sector, recorded the highest transaction in the Consumer Goods sector, with 19.323 million shares valued at N284.028 million in 326 deals;

PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc in Personal/Household Products sub-sector, followed with 18.432 million shares valued at N479.208 in 244 deals and Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc in the Food Products sub-sector recorded 11.501 million shares valued at N46.369 million 263 deals.