NSE ASI adds 0.34% as Access Bank boosts trade with 174.9m shares

EQUITIES market trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange closed on a positive note on Tuesday, to record a growth of 0.34 per cent in lead market indices. This is even as the inflation rate for the month of April released by the National Bureau of Statistics also on Tuesday, recorded a mild decline of 0.02 per cent indicating some easing in high food and non-food prices.

Meanwhile, the All Share Index appreciated 0.35 per cent or 95.98 points to close at 27,609.67 points compared to 2.4 per cent lost previously when the ASI closed at 27,513.69 points.

The market capitalisation also added N33.2 billion to close at N9.544 trillion as against a loss of N235 billion to close at N9.510 trillion posted previous session.

Access Bank was the toast of investors as it emerged the most traded stock, accounting for 174.9 million shares worth N1.2 billion.

Oando followed with 60.8 million shares valued at N434.2 billion and UBA traded 50.5 million shares worth N321.4 million.

FBN Holdings sold 45.3 million shares valued at N176.5 million and Fidelity achieved a turnover of 44.6 million shares worth N41.8 million.

The day’s trading ended with 23 gainers against 16 losers.

International Breweries led the gainers’ table, with five per cent to close at N21 per share.

Custodian and Allied Insurance followed with a gain of 4.89 per cent to close at N3.43 and FCMB increased 4.89 per cent to close at N3.43 per share.

Transcorp improved by 4.59 per cent to close at N1.14, while Africa Prudential increased 4.53 per cent to close at N2.77 per share.

On the losers table, Seplat recorded the highest loss, dropping 9.00 per cent to close at N345.80 per share.

AirService followed with a loss of 8.95 per cent to close at N4.07 and Dangote Sugar dropped 3.56 per cent to close at N6.51 per share.

UAC-Prop fell 3.41 per cent to close at N1.70 per share, while Jaiz Bank declined by 3.16 per cent to close at 92 kobo per share.

Volume of shares closed lower at 569.2 million shares transacted compared to 670.96 million traded in Monday’s session. Value of shares traded in 4,632 deals also fell to N6.682 billion from N7.91 billion made in 4,034 deals on Monday.