NSE is world’s best performing exchange, posts biggest daily gain in five years

October 6, 2020 7:53 pm

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) emerged the best performing stock exchange in the world on Tuesday.

Market capitalisation, which opened at N14.40 trillion, crossed the N15 trillion mark to close at N15.11 trillion as investors gained N949 billion.

The all-share index rose by 1,354.88 or 4.92 percent to close at 28,909.37 against 27,554.49 points on Monday, the biggest gain since April 1, 2015.

The uptrend was impacted by gains recorded in large and medium capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Dangote Cement, MTN Nigeria Communication, Presco, Nigerian Breweries and Stanbic IBTC Holdings.

Consequently, the market breadth closed positive with 45 gainers compared with eight losers.

This is the 12th consecutive day that the market has closed in the green.

Cornerstone Insurance, International Breweries and Presco led the gainers’ chart in percentage terms, with 10 percent each, to close at 66k, N4.29 and N60.50 per share, respectively.

FBN Holdings followed with 9.91 percent to close at N6.10, while Northern Nigeria Flour Mills rose by 9.88 percent to close at N4.45 per share.

Dangote Cement gained 9.86 percent to close at N158.20, while Lafarge Africa appreciated by 9.69 percent to close at N17.55 per share.

Transactions in the shares of Zenith Bank topped the activity chart, accounting 135.69 million shares valued at N2.77 billion.

United Bank for Africa followed with 112.89 million shares worth N768.18 million, while FBN Holdings traded 89.91million shares valued at N544.41 million.

Access Bank sold 56.03 million shares worth N426.27 million, while Guaranty Trust Bank transacted 40.06 million shares valued at N1.22 billion.

Ambrose Omordion, the chief operating officer of InvestData Ltd., said that low interest and undervalued state of the stock market had triggered an inflow of funds to blue-chip and growth stocks in search of better return in a hyperinflation environment.

Omordion said the trend is likely to persist till third-quarter numbers started hitting the market.

The monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reduced the monetary policy rate by 100 basis points at its September meeting which has resulted in lower interest rates.