Kelechukwu Mgboji 
Nigeria’s equity market closed the week on a bearish note as the All-Share Index (ASI) dipped by 0.08 per cent, settling at 105,451.06 points compared to the 105,530.74 recorded in Thursday’s session.
The market capitalisation correspondingly declined to N64.30 trillion from N64.35 trillion, signaling a parallel drop of 0.08 per cent.
Despite the decline, the week-to-date (WTD) performance stood firm at +1.80 per cent, with month-to-date (MTD) and year-to-date (YTD) returns at +2.45 per cent, underscoring the market’s resilience over the broader period.
Intriguingly, market activity surged significantly, with trade turnover volume skyrocketing by 203.14 per cent to 1.483 billion shares valued at N19.39 billion, up 48.40 per cent from the N13.07 billion recorded in the previous session.
These trades were executed across 12,877 deals, reflecting robust investor engagement. C&I Leasing emerged as the star performer, leading the pack of 32 gainers with a maximum daily gain of 10 per cent, closing at N4.51 per share.
Other notable gainers included Honeywell Flour Mills and Trans-Nationwide Express, which appreciated by 9.99 per cent and 9.89 per cent, respectively.
Conversely, the decliners numbered 25, with SUNU Assurance, Eunisell, and Sky Aviation taking the largest hits, losing 9.99 per cent, 9.96 per cent, and 9.87 per cent, respectively.
Market movers included heavyweights MTNN, FBN Holdings, and Access Corporation, which influenced the overall bearish sentiment.
However, Wema Bank, Tantalizer, and Nahco drove the day’s trading activity in terms of volume and value.
As the trading week concluded, the market demonstrated mixed signals, with bearish momentum tempered by an unprecedented surge in trade volumes, setting the stage for what could be an unpredictable start to the following week.
