Trading on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited again reclined on Thursday, following a margin gain on Wednesday, attributed to profit-taking on LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. which declined 3.1% and UNION BANK NIG.PLC which declined 7.1%.
Thus, the All-Share Index declined 64.26 basis points or 0.2% to 38,571.89 basis points from 38,636.15 basis points realised on Wednesday.
Likewise, the Market Capitalization depreciated by 34 billion Naira or 0.2% to close on Thursday at 20,186 trillion Naira from the 20,220 trillion Naira realised on Wednesday.
Out of the 162 registered stocks on the exchange, only 16 stocks gained, 27 stocks declined while all others closed with their prices unchanged.
The total volume of trades increased by 14.9% to 319.43 million units, valued at N1.78 billion, and exchanged in 4,158 deals. FIDELITY BANK PLC was the most traded stock by volume at 46.71 million units, while GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC was the most traded stock by value at N352.44 million.
At the lead of the gainers table is GUINNESS NIG PLC with an opening selling price of N26.50k per share and a closing price of N29.15k per share, thereby gaining N2.65k or 10.00%.
MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC followed with a 0.08k or 9.30% gain to close at a selling price of 0.94k per share from previous price of 0.86k per share.
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And FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC took off trading on Thursday at a selling price of 0.43k per share and closed at 0.47k per share, gaining 0.04k or 9.30%.
On the reverse side, UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PLC was the biggest loser by 0.08k or 10.00% to close at 0.72k per share down from 0.80k per share.
Next is P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC which dropped from a previous selling price of N4.60k per share and stood at N4.15k per share by 0.45k or 9.78%. While STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. declined from N1.79k per share to N1.62k per share, by 0.17k or 9.50%.
When analysing sectoral performance, the Insurance Index fell by 2.8% or 5.41 basis points to 191.54 basis points from 196.95 basis points.
The Banking Index declined 1.0% or 3.37 basis points to 344.83 basis points from 348.20 basis points and Industrial Goods declined as well by 0.2% or 3.46 basis points to close the day at 1,870.99 basis points from 1,874.45 basis points.
While the Consumer Goods appreciated from 549.55 basis points to 550.23 basis points by 0.1% or 0.68 basis points and Oil & Gas Index grew also by 0.1% from 264.64 basis points to 264.88 basis points.
