By TAIYE OLAYEMI

Stock market investors traded 1.854 billion shares worth N56.025 billion in 51,386 transactions on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. This week.

This is in contrast to the 1.525 billion shares valued at N43.006 billion that exchanged hands last week in 51,156 deals.

Consequently, the value of transactions traded by investors on the Exchange soared by 30.26 per cent as investors gained N13.019 billion.

Meanwhile, the market opened for four trading days this week as the Federal Government declared Friday, April 18 and Monday, April 21 as public holidays to commemorate 2025 Easter celebration.

Trading in the top three equities, namely Fidelity Bank Pic, Access Holdings Pic and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, accounted for 797.873 million shares worth N22.043 billion in 8,618 transactions.

This contributed 43.03 per cent and 39.34 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.

The Financial Services led the activity chart with 1.266 billion shares valued at N29.400 billion traded in 24,351 deals.

This contributed 68.28 per cent and 52.48 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.

The ICT industry followed with 136.707 million shares worth N12.472 billion in 2,974 deals.

The third place was the Consumer Goods Industry, with a turnover of 118.617 million shares worth N4.415 billion in 5,869 deals.

The NGX All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 1.46 per cent and 1.47 per cent to close the week at 105,752.61 and N66.465 trillion, respectively.

Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of NGX Premium, NGX Oil and Gas, NGX Industrial Goods, NGX Growth and NGX Sovereign Bond Indices, which depreciated by 0.43 per cent, 0.07 per cent, 3.44 per cent, 0.41 per cent and 0.06 per cent, respectively.

Sixty-four equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than 31 equities in the previous week.

Twenty-seven equities depreciated in price, 44 in the previous week, while 57 equities remained unchanged, lower than 72 recorded in the previous week.

International Breweries, Nascon Allied Industries Plc, Africa Prudential Plc, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, and Ikeja Hotel Plc were the top five gainers and they grew by 40.00 per cent, 26.22 per cent, 25.64 per cent, 21.22 per cent and 21.00 per cent, respectively.

The companies gained N2.20, N11.00, N3.50, N7.85 and N2.10, respectively.

The top five decliners for the week were: VFD Group Plc, John Holt Plc, Dangote Cement Plc, Tripple Gee and Company Plc and Haldane McCall Plc as they lost N78.90, N1.44, N48.00, 22k and 52k, respectively. (NAN)

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