THE Over –The –Counter (OTC) market for FGN bonds last week recorded a turnover of 152.1 million shares worth N174.1billion in 912 deals, in contrast to a total of 162.8million units, valued at N189.9billion, exchanged in 956 deals in the preceding week.
At the end of transactions last week, the financial services sector sustained its dominance as the most active during the week, contributing 70.75per cent, 66.16per cent, 58.7 per cent to the total equity turnover volume, value and number of trades respectively in 2.527 billion shares valued at N16.338 billion exchanged hands by investors in 23,085 deals.
Specifically, the banking sub-sector was the most active stock when measured by in volume terms with 1.7 billion shares worth N13 billion traded in 16,104 deals as volume in the banking sub-sector was largely driven by activities in the shares of Unity Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, and UBA Plc.
Trading in the shares of the three banks accounted for 800.4 million shares, representing 44.96per cent, 31.68per cent and 22.41per cent of the turnover volume recorded by the subsector, sector and total turnover for the week, respectively.
The Conglomerates sub-sector followed with a total turnover volume of 473.147 million shares worth N1.051 billion in 2,341 deals.
Volume in the sub-sector was largely driven by activities in the shares of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc with a turnover volume of 465.210 million shares valued at N803.042 million in 1,826 deals.
Also traded during the week were 539 units of NewGold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) valued at N1.382 million exchanged in 4 deals, in contrast to a total of 234 units valued at N595, 491 transacted last week in five deals.
Consequently, investors exchanged a turnover of 3.572 billion shares worth N24.692 billion in 39,321 deals, up from a total of 2.813 billion shares valued at N22.188 billion that exchanged hands in 33,123 deals in the preceding week.
In addition, 1,670 units of FGN bonds valued at N2.087 million were traded during the week in 41 deals. However, there were no transactions in the State/Local Government Bonds and Corporate Bonds/Debentures sectors.
The NSE All-Share Index appreciated by 901.63 points or 2.78per cent to close on Friday at 33,313.49 while market capitalization of the listed equities appreciated by 2.78per cent to close at N10.659 trillion.
All the NSE sectorial indices: Bloomberg NSE 30, Bloomberg NSE Consumer Goods, Bloomberg NSE Banking, Bloomberg NSE Insurance, Bloomberg NSE Oil/Gas and NSE Lotus II appreciated by 2.63per cent, 2.47per cent, 3.40per cent, 14.21per cent, 1.70per cent and 4.11per cent respectively.
A review of the equity price movements indicated that 73 equities gained while 18 equities recorded price declines and 106 equities remained constant.