NGX Rises 0.53% as Airtel Africa, First Holdco Lead Gains
By Aboki Forex —
The Nigerian stock market extended its positive run on Tuesday, with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited gaining 0.53%. Strong buying interest in large and mid-cap stocks drove the rally.
Airtel Africa, First Holdco, and other blue-chip equities led the advance, offsetting losses in some sectors. The NGX All-Share Index rose by 990.55 points to close at 244,697.62 points, up from 243,707.07 points. Market capitalisation increased by N636 billion to N156.944 trillion from N156.308 trillion.
Trading activity improved. Volume surged 81.26% to 1.3 billion shares from 717.2 million shares. Traded value stood at N57.9 billion, compared with N56.7 billion previously. The number of deals fell by 18.23%.
Top Gainers and Losers
Airtel Africa topped the gainers’ chart, rising 10% from N3,655.70 to N4,021.20. International Energy Insurance gained 9.90% from N7.98 to N8.77. Abbey Mortgage Bank increased 9.76% to N11.25. Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank advanced 9.63% to N10.25. First Holdco climbed 8.49% from N63.60 to N69.00.
On the losers’ list, Learn Africa declined 10% from N10.50 to N9.45. Trans-Nationwide Express dropped 10% from N4.90 to N4.41. Okomu Oil fell 10% from N1,750.00 to N1,575.00. Unilever Nigeria lost 10% from N156.00 to N140.40. NAHCO declined 10% from N189.50 to N170.55.
Market Sentiment and Sector Performance
Market sentiment was evenly matched. There were 33 gainers and 33 decliners on the price movement chart. Three major sectors recorded losses. The industrial goods index fell 0.99%. Consumer goods dropped 0.83%. The energy index declined 0.14%. The banking sector gained 1.33%. The insurance sector rose 0.24%.
Top Traded Stocks
Sterling Holdings led trading activity with 715.7 million shares worth N5.4 billion. GTCO followed with 49.2 million shares valued at N6.7 billion. FCMB traded 34.4 million shares worth N412.8 million. Veritas Kapital exchanged 29.1 million shares valued at N48.0 million. Access Holdings recorded 27.3 million shares worth N680.8 million.
In related news, the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc has announced that Nigeria’s capital market will transition to a T+1 settlement cycle. The move aims to improve efficiency and align with global standards. This comes about six months after the country’s central depository, clearing, and settlement agent migrated from a T+3 to a T+2 settlement cycle.