Emmanuel OchayiNigeria’s stock market recorded a slight increase of 0.02% on Wednesday as investors focused on select stocks. The rise was driven by buying interest in Africa Prudential, UH Real Estate Investment Trust, Caverton Offshore Support Group, and Lasaco. Despite this, major declines in stocks like Oando, Eunisell Interlinked, and Union Dicon Salt kept the market from making significant progress.
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) All-Share Index (ASI) moved from 107,781.79 points to 107,798.99 points, while the equities market capitalization increased slightly from N67.168 trillion to N67.179 trillion. The market’s year-to-date return rose to 4.73%.
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UH Real Estate Investment Trust was one of the best-performing stocks, climbing from N40.25 to N44.25, a rise of N4 or 9.94%. Africa Prudential also performed well, increasing from N30.30 to N33.30, adding N3 or 9.90%.
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Caverton Offshore Support Group gained 22 kobo, moving from N2.23 to N2.45, up by 9.87%. Meanwhile, Lasaco rose from N2.89 to N3.09, adding 20 kobo or 6.92%. These stocks helped the stock market stay in positive territory despite losses in other areas.
Market Records High Trading Activity
A total of 245,516,922 shares were exchanged in 10,098 deals, with a total value of N8.414 billion. Access Holdings, Zenith Bank, Sterling Financial Holdings Company, Jaiz Bank, and AIICO were the most actively traded stocks during the session.
Despite the market’s small increase on Wednesday, overall performance this week has declined by 0.64%. Analysts believe that cautious trading will continue, as investors look to secure profits in key sectors.
Analysts Expect More Market Volatility
Analysts at Lagos-based Vetiva Research noted that investors remain cautious. “We expect cautious trading to persist as investors continue to lock in profits across key sectors. However, bargain-hunting opportunities may emerge, particularly in recently oversold counters,” they said in a report ahead of Wednesday’s trading session.
While the stock market has shown slight improvement, investor sentiment remains mixed. The coming days will determine whether bargain-hunting activities can push the market further into the green.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
