The bulls continued to maintain a firm grip on the equity sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday despite the few price gains recorded by some highly capitalised stocks, resulting to a further rise in market capitalisation by N51billion.

Specifically, at the re-opening of the market for the week yesterday, 48 stocks appreciated in price while 42 others constituted the losers chart.

Precisely, Total Nigeria Plc led the bulls up by 1,015kobo to close at N214.90per share while Julius Berger Nigeria plc followed adding 270kobo to close at N56.70per share. West African Portland Company Plc, Guinness Nigeria plc, Unilever Nigeria plc, Cadbury plc gained 210kobo, 202kobo, 140kobo and 136kobo to close at N44.10, N161.01, N29.40 and N28.68 per share.

Other gainers of yesterday's transactions includes Benue Cement Company plc, Dangote Flourmills plc, Stanbic IBTC plc,UACN plc, Access Bank plc, Diamond Bank plc, Honeywell Flourmills plc, SkyeBank plc, First City Monument Bank plc, Eternaoil plc, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria plc adding 100kobo, 85kobo,51kobo,48kobo,47kobo,44kobo,41kobo,41kobo,39 kobo, 38kobo and 36kobo to close at N68.00,N23.95,N10.90,N53.98,N9.97,N9.26,N8.66,N8.62,N8.25,N8.03 and N22.50per share.

On the other hand, Mobil Nigeria plc led others on the losers table with 7.94kobo to close at N150.90per share. Northern Nigeria Flourmills plc followed shedding 185kobo to close at N35.34per share.

FlourMills plc, EcobankTransNational Incorporated plc, Okomuoil plc, Oando Nigeria plc, Chellaram plc, Nigerian Breweries plc, May&Baker plc, RT Briscoe plc, International Breweries plc, AG Leventis plc, RedStar Express plc and UAC Properties plc lost 130kobo, 103kobo,79kobo,55kobo, 54kobo, 54kobo, 49kobo, 39kobo,29kobo,24kobo,12kobo,21kobo, and 20kobo to close at N71.00,N19.70,N15.13,N114.00,N10.44,N72.51,N7.59,N5.61,N4.66,N3.99 and N25.00 per share.

Consequently, the ALL-share index rose at 211.03points or 0.76 per cent from 27,503.36 recorded on Friday to 27,714.39 while market capitalisation increased by N51billion or 0.76per cent from N6,652 trillion to N6,703trillion.

With transactions exchanged in 3,955deals, the banking sub sector remains the most active stock in volume terms with 175.6million shares, worth N1.7billion while the insurance sub sector followed with82.4million units valued at N83.6million in 550deals. The information&communication technology sub sector trailed with 22.7million units worth N46.9million.

Trading in the shares of Zenith Bank plc enhanced activities in the banking sub sector with 35.7million shares worth N561.7million followed by SkyeBank plc with 22.4million units valued at N193million.

Three insurance subsector was boosted by activities in the shares of International Energy Insurance plc which traded 21.4million shares worth N13.7 million while N E M insurance plc followed with 10.5 million units valued at N6.6million.

On the whole, 353.7 million shares worth N3.2billion in 8,423 deals.

Culled from The Guardian