The Nigerian stock market started this week on a posi- tive note as thirty (30) stocks gained against twenty (20) losers. Forte Oil plc led the gain- ers table while Mobil Oil plc declined most.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All Share Index (ASI) rose by 395.7points or 1.20% to 33,249.19 points from 32,853.49 points the pre- ceding trading day.
The equities mar- ket capitalisation in- creased by N135billion from N11.215trillion to N11.350trillion.
Forte Oil occupied the topmost position on the gainers table after its share price rose by N9.1, from N182 to N191.1; followed by Seplat Petroluem De- velopment Company plc which appreciated from N331.25 to N340.06, add-ing N8.81. Guinness Nigeria plc rose from N153.5 to N161.17, adding N7.67; Dangote Cement plc added N4, from N170 to N174; while Cadbury Ni- geria plc rose from N35.15 to N36.5, adding N1.35.
Mobil Oil Nigeria plc recorded the high- est share price loss after its share price declined from N158.85 to N155, losing N3.85. Nestle Ni- geria plc dipped from N891.45 to N889.2, down by N2.25.
Nigerian Breweries plc lost N0.81, from N148.01 to N147.2; GlaxoSmith- Kline Consumer Nigeria plc also declined from N44 to N43.5, losing N0.5; while Cement Company of Northern Nigeria plc dipped by N0.3, from N10.5 to N10.2.
Actively traded stocks on the Nigerian bourse include Access Bank plc, Oando plc, FBN Holdings plc, Fidelity Bank plc, and Sterling Bank plc.
Equity dealers at the Nigerian bourse ex- changed 94,642,313 units of Access Bank plc shares valued at N543.698million; 54,732,110 units of Oando plc shares val- ued at N899.727million; 29,941,485 units of FBN Holdings plc shares val- ued at N238.584million; 21,798,964 units of Fidel- ity Bank plc shares valued at N37.747million; and 18,382,824 units of Ster- ling Bank plc shares val- ued at N36.770million.
The NSE 30 Index which tracks the per- formance of largely capitalised stocks rose from 1,503.81 points to 1,521.61 points; NSE Banking Index rose from 364.94 points to 370.18 points; Insurance Index increased from 145.11 points to 145.65 points; and NSE Consumer Goods Index dipped from 843.54 points to 845.06 points.
Also, NSE Oil/Gas Index rose from 361.09 points to 371.47 points; NSE Lotus Islamic Index also appreciated from 2,208.07 points to 2,228.86 points; NSE Industrial In- dex rose from 2,198.52 points to 2,229.07 points; while NSE ASeM Index remained at 1,213.52 points, same as the pre- ceding trading day.
IHEANYI NWACHUKWU