US Threat: Equities Market Records N858bn Loss in Two Days

• Profit-Taking Reigns across Counters

BY BONNY AMADI

Pronouncement by the United States President Donald Trump on Nigeria, and designating the country as “Country of Particular Concern” has reflected on investment sentiment as more stocks continue to bow to depressive trend.

For two days of straight trading, the equities market has deprecated by N858 billion, reflecting mass dip in equity prices, even as 40 stocks lost value on Tuesday, while 17 recorded upsurges.

The NGX equities market on Tuesday extended its downward trajectory, with the NGX All-Share Index declining 0.72% to close at 152,629.60 points, pulling year-to-date returns down to 48.29%. Market capitalization contracted by N611.97 billion to N96.97 trillion.

Market sentiment remained distinctly bearish, with 40 losers significantly outpacing 17 gainers, yielding a subdued 0.4x breadth ratio. EUNISELL, SUNU- ASSUR, HONYFLOUR, LIVESTOCK, and TIP registered gains, while NASCON, SKYAVN, OANDO, UPDC, and LEARNAFRICA led the decliners with substantial price erosion.

Broad-based sectoral weakness persisted: Insurance index dipped by 3.76%, Banking (-2.05%), Consumer Goods (-1.49%), Oil & Gas (-0.78%), and Industrial (-0.01%) sectors experienced capital depreciation, while the Commodity sector remained unchanged.

Trading activity presented mixed signals as volume increased 8.99% to 683.92 million shares, yet trans- action values dropped 18.50% to N20.38 billion and deal count contracted 8.61% to 33,288, reflecting diminished high-value institutional transactions and subdued retail engagement amid ongoing portfolio rebalancing and risk aversion.

Top five gainers

FGSUK2031S4 led the gainers group with N21.95 or 29.65 per cent growth, closing at N95.99, followed by EUNISELL with 5.90 or 10.00 per cent growth, to end the day at N64.90, while LOTUSHAL15 grew by N7.05 or 9.99 per cent to end the day at N77.62 per share.

SUNUASSUR appreciated by N0.45 or 9.98 percent to N4.96 closing price, while HONYFLOUR closed the top five gainer stocks group at N19.75 per share, having appreciated by N1.75 or 9.72 per cent.

Worst five losers

SKYVAN as the highest loser stock on Tuesday dipped by N9.95 or 10.00 per cent to end the day at N89.55 per share, followed by NASCON with N11.00 or 10.00 per cent decline to close at N99.00 per share, while OANDO closed third in the group at N43.25 per share following contraction by N4.80 or 9.99 per cent.

UPDC lost N0.61 or 9.92 per cent to N5.54 percent while LEAR- NAFRCA closed the top five losers’ stocks group at N5.85 per share having dipped by N0.64 or 9.86 per cent.

Top five trades

ASOSAVINGS led the day as the highest traded stock measured by volume with 111,950,400.00million turnover of shares worth N115,216,789.20 million, followed by FCMB with 110,103,492.00 million transacted shares worth N1,134,550,819.80 billion, while FIDELITYBK closed third in the group with 55,136,032.00 million shares worth N1,046,776,367.20 billion.

ZENITHBANK polled 38,275,830.00 million shares worth N2, 378,339,602.30 billion, while FIRSTHOLDCO closed the top five active stocks group with 29,828,649.00 million shares worth N929, 392,676.75 million.