Equities lose N94bn as investors take profit on blue chips

The Nigerian equities market opened the week on a bearish note as investors embarked on profit-taking in some high-cap stocks, leading to a loss of N94bn in market capitalisation at the close of trading on Monday.

Data from the Nigerian Exchange Limited showed that the market capitalisation dipped to N98.7tn from N98.8tn recorded on Friday, representing a 0.1 per cent decline. Similarly, the benchmark index fell by 148.90 points to close at 155,496.15.

Despite the overall decline, the market remains on a positive trajectory, reflecting a one-week gain of 3.71 per cent, a four-week gain of 9.4 per cent, and an impressive year-to-date return of 51.08 per cent.

Trading data revealed that investors exchanged a total of 502.99 million shares valued at N24.94bn in 39,945 deals, showing a 58 per cent decline in volume and a 21 per cent drop in turnover compared with the previous session, although the number of deals rose by 33 per cent.

Market activity was driven largely by trades in the financial and industrial sectors. Access Holdings led in volume with 68.9 million shares worth N1.62bn, followed by FBN Holdings with 66.6 million shares valued at N2.09bn. Others on the volume chart included Universal Insurance with 19.2 million shares, Sovereign Trust Insurance with 19.1 million shares, and Zenith Bank with 18.2 million shares.

On the value side, Aradel Holdings topped the chart with trades worth N5.63bn, followed by Presco with N2.25bn, FBN Holdings with N2.09bn, Dangote Cement with N1.65bn, and Access Holdings with N1.62bn.

The market breadth closed negative, with 25 gainers and 34 losers. Aradel Holdings led the gainers with a 10 per cent rise to close at N869 per share, while NEM Insurance gained 9.67 per cent to close at N32.90. Aso Savings & Loans appreciated 9.09 per cent, and Eterna rose 8.75 per cent.

On the losers’ chart, Deap Capital Management and Trust led with a 9.71 per cent decline to close at N1.58, followed by Champion Breweries, which fell 9.64 per cent to close at N15 per share. Red Star Express dropped 8.64 per cent, while Wapic Insurance and PZ Cussons shed 6.45 per cent and 5.94 per cent, respectively.

Sectoral performance was mixed, as the Oil and Gas Index gained 4.24 per cent, the Insurance Index rose 1.09 per cent, and the Main Board Index advanced 0.22 per cent. Conversely, the Pension Index fell 0.48 per cent, while the Top 30 Index declined 0.08 per cent.

The PUNCH reported that the Nigerian Exchange recorded its strongest performance in months as investors pushed the market higher by 4.48 per cent, adding N4.32tn to its overall value in a single week. The market capitalisation closed at N98.793tn, while the All-Share Index settled at 155,645.05 points, reflecting renewed investor confidence and increased activity across major sectors.