Equity Investors Open Week with N471.99bn Loss

• as Portfolio Rebalancing continues •Lover pricing offering fresh opportunities

BY BONNY AMADI

Investors in the NGX equities market opened the new week with a N471.99 billion decline in their investment value as market sentiments and reactions to diplomatic rows take its toll on the market.

However, the prevailing low pricing of some stocks, has strengthened the commitment of more investors to enhance their holdings, leveraging the discounted pricing in some value stocks.

Remarkably, the equities market deepened its losses on Monday, with the NGX All-Share Index (ASI) declining 0.50% to 148,781.90 points, pulling year-to-date returns down to 44.55%.

Market capitalization shed N471.99 billion to close at N94.53 trillion amid persistent profit-taking pressure.

Bearish sentiment dominated, as 41 losers vastly outnumbered 13 gainers yielding a weak 0.3x advance-decline ratio.

Sectoral losses were widespread: Insurance suffered most at -4.24%, while Consumer Goods (-1.32%), Banking (-0.65%), and Industrial (-0.11%) also retreated, while Commodity and Oil & Gas sectors closed flat.

Trading dynamics reflected reduced investor appetite, with volume plunging 30.89% to 364.35 million shares and transaction values falling 26.20% to N11.35 billion.

Interestingly, deal count surged 32.18% to 32,564 trades, suggesting increased retail activity in smaller trade sizes. The confluence of weakened volume, lower values, and fragmented trading underscores cautious positioning as market participants continue de-risking strategies in response to challenging macroeconomic conditions.

Top five gainers

ASOSAVINGS opened the week as the best gainer stock with N0.09 or 10.00 per cent rise in price to close at N0.99. Followed by DEAPCAP with N0.17 or 9.83 per cent growth, closing at N1.90 per share, while CORNERS advanced by N0.48 or 8.70 per cent, closing at N6.00 per share.

NEIMETH appreciated by N0.45 or 8.65 per cent to N5.65 per share while JAPAULGOLD closed the top five gainers group at N2.23 per share, following growth by N0.14 or 6.70 per cent.

Worst five losers

LINKASSURE led the losers’ group with N0.18 or 10.00 per cent dip in price to end at N1.62, followed by RTBRISCOE which sliced by N0.34 or 10.00 per cent, to close at N3.06, while NAHCO lost N10.50 or 9.95 per cent of its share price to end the day at N95.00 per share.

MBENEFIT depreciated by N0.37 or 9.89 percent to N3.37 per share, while AIICO closed the worst five loser stocks group at N3.37 per share, having lost N0.37 or 9.89 per cent.

Top five trades

ACCESSCORP, as the highest traded stock polled a total of 22,809,385.00 million shares worth N496,600,172.75 million, followed by ZENITHBANK with 21,936,994.00 million shares worth N1,308,755,238.55 billion, while CHAMS closed trd in the group with 17,845,617.00 turnover of shares worth N54,066,112.79 million.

ASOSAVINGS traded 14,768,124.00 million shares worth N14, 299,283.76 million, while AIICO closed the top five active stocks group with 14,028,438.00 mil- lion shares valued N48, 667,139.18 million.