NSE: Trading closed almost flat amid near equalisation of buy and sell pressures 

Trading ended approximately flat on the Nigerian bourse Thursday as buy and sell pressures almost drew level, and relatively profit-taking in some consumer goods stocks weakened gains.

Notable among such stocks were Vitafoam and Dangote Sugar, whose poor show depressed the Consumer Goods Index, the worst performer among the five sectors assessed, by 0.64% to 411.44 basis points.

Trade ended with a negative market breadth as 15 losers emerged against 10 gainers. The All Share Index (ASI) dipped 0.01% to 24,276.56 basis points just as market capitalisation climbed dipped to N12.664 trillion at the end of today’s trade. Year to date, the index is down by 9.56%.

TOP 5 GAINERS

Law Union led gainers today, growing by 7% to close at N1.07. Vitafoam rose by 6.59% to close at N0.97. Sterling Bank went up by 5.83% to N1.27. PZ leapt to N4.35, notching up 3.57% in the process. Caverton completed the top 5, climbing up by 1.80% to N3.45.

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TOP 5 LOSERS

Conoil topped the losers’ table today, declining by 10% to close at N18.90. Arbico declined by 9.52% at N1.71. Vitafoam fell to N9.30, losing 5.07%. International Breweries slumped to N3.60, recording 8.86% loss. Jaiz Bank tumbled to N0.52, going down by 7.14%.

TOP 5 TRADES

Investors staked N2.470 billion on 192.082 million shares in 3,833 transactions today.

Fidelity was the most preferred stocks today with 38.065 million units of its stocks worth N68.549 million traded in 111 deals. 23.579 million units of GTB shares priced at N534.468 million exchanged hands in 438 transactions. Zenith had 23.080 million shares valued at N385.443 million traded in 362 deals. Access traded 11.424 million shares estimated at N73.861 million in 243 transactions. UBA. traded 68.104 million shares valued at N32.253 million in 186 deals.

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