Equity investors gain N81bn after 3 days loss

Equity trading on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) favoured investors yesterday as they recouped N81 billion at the close of the session that saw market indexes growing by 0.80 per cent.

The session reflected partial return of optimism to the floor and a shift from the sentimental trading that has, since last week Friday up till Tuesday, this week, been punctuating trading.

Market capitalization added N81 billion to close at N10.239 trillion while the NSE AllShare Index (ASI) also gained 237.67 basis points to close at 29,812.91 points as against the 264.99 points that it shed on Tuesday.

However, market turnover closed on the red territory as traded value depreciated by 13.53 per cent. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc pushed market activities with the highest turnover of 38.812 million shares valued at N829.104 million in 503 trades.

The bulls also dominated market breadth as 24 gaining stocks emerged against 18 decliners and four other stocks that closed unchanged.

Forte Oil Plc topped gainers with N2.03 kobo to close at N194.95 kobo per share while Ashaka Cement Plc led the 17 other declining stocks with 1.05 kobo to close at N19.95 per cent.

Generally, investors ended the session transacting 305.813 million shares valued at N2.857 billion in 4,640 as compares 255.254 million shares valued at N3.304 billion that exchanged hands in 4,812 trades on Tuesday.