Stock Market Declines By N1.45trn In 1 Week

The Nigerian stock market closed bearish in three out of five trading sessions last week, causing the overall capitalisation to decline by N1.45 trillion.

The All-Share Index dipped by 2.94 per cent week-on-week (W-o-W) to close at 102,353.68 points. Likewise, market capitalisation shed by N1.45 trillion to close the week at N62.851 trillion.

The market’s downturn was predominantly driven by sell pressures in heavy-weighted stocks; Dangote Cement, Transcorp Power, MTN Nigeria Communications (MTNN) and Aradel Holdings.

Analysts noted that the decline was primarily driven by widespread sell-offs across most sectors, with the exception of the consumer goods space.

Sectoral performance last week was lackluster. The NGX Consumer Goods index was the only exception, posting a positive gain of 1.33 per cent week on week.

On the contrary, the NGX Industrial and NGX-Insurance sectors suffered the steepest declines, losing 8.20 per cent and 6.23 per cent week on week, respectively. The NGX Oil & Gas and NGX Banking sectors lost 0.78 per cent and 0.46 per cent week on week, respectively.

The market breadth for the week was negative as 33 equities appreciated in price, 57 equities depreciated in price, while 62 equities remained unchanged. NEIMETH International Pharmaceuticals led the gainers table by 31.42 per cent to close at N3.43, per share. SCOA Nigeria followed with a gain of 20.39 per cent to close at N2.48, while Northern Nigeria Flour Mills went up by 19.54 per cent to close to N54.45, per share.

On the other side, Universal Insurance led the decliners table by 19.23 per cent to close at 63 kobo, per share. Royal Exchange followed with a loss of 18.35 per cent to close at 89 kobo, while Regency Assurance declined by 17.78 per cent to close at 74 kobo, per share.

Overall, a total turnover of 2.252 billion shares worth N58.831 billion in 63,657 deals was traded last week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 4.698 billion shares valued at N85.043 billion that exchanged hands previous week in 72,562 deals.

On market outlook, Cowry Assets Management Limited anticipated that the market may experience a mixed performance in the coming week.

“While some degree of bargain hunting is expected as investors search for attractive entry points, much of the direction will be shaped by the anticipated earnings reports and the broader macroeconomic outlook,” Cowry said.

The investment house added that “despite the challenges presented by last week’s market pullbacks, which were largely driven by profit-taking and sell-offs, there may be buying opportunities for discerning investors. These opportunities are especially apparent for those who are looking to capitalize on low valuations and market volatility ahead of the upcoming Q4 earnings season.

“The combination of mixed macroeconomic data and a series of anticipated economic events, such as the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, is likely to continue influencing market dynamics. In this environment, it is crucial for investors to focus on stocks with strong fundamentals, as these are more likely to weather the current economic challenges and offer better long-term prospects.”