…As CBN lifts foreign exchange market with $210m***
Weekly activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) resumed on depressed note on Monday as the market indices dropped by 1.53 per cent.
The market capitalisation shed N233 billion or 1.53 per cent to close at N15.068 trillion from the N15.301 trillion recorded on Friday.
The All-Share Index, which opened at 42,638.83, lost 650.65 points or 1.53 per cent against the 41,988.18 achieved on Friday.
Some blue chips posted price losses.
They were led by Nestle Nigeria which lost N58.20 to close at N1, 341.80 per share.
Dangote Cement trailed with a loss of N8.60 to close at N251.30, while Nigerian Breweries was down by N2.10 to close at N128.90 per share.
PZ Industries dropped N2 to close at N23, while Enamel West Africa declined by N1.15 to close at N22.10 per share.
On the other hand, International Breweries led the price gainers’ table, appreciating by N1.25 to close at N59 per share.
GTB followed with a gain of N1 to close at N47.50, while CCNN added 35k to close at N18.50 per share.
Fidson Healthcare gained 22k to close at N4.69, while Mansard Insurance rose by 13k to close at N2.78 per share.
In all, investors exchanged 287.18 million shares valued at N2.29 billion in 4,646 deals.
This was in contrast to the 815.85 million shares worth N8.06 billion traded in 4,808 deals on Friday.
The banking equities maintained its leadership as the most active with
Skye Bank dominating with 57.99 million shares worth N63.21 million.
Diamond Bank followed with 40.33 million shares valued at N106.72 million, while FCMB Group traded 35.34 million shares worth N89.42 million.
Jaiz Bank traded 18.98 million shares valued at N20.37 million, while Zenith International Bank sold 15.65 million shares worth N497.02 million.
In the meantime, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has provided fresh 210 million dollars to meet customers’ requests in various segments of the foreign exchange market.
The Bank’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr Isaac Okorafor in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said that 100 million dollars was offered to authorised dealers in the wholesale segment of the market.
Okorafor said that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment got 55 million dollars, while customers in need of foreign exchange for tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), were allocated 55 million dollars.
Okorafor reiterated the CBN’s commitment to continuous intervention in the interbank foreign exchange market, in line with its pledge to sustain liquidity in the market and maintain stability.
He said that the CBN would continue to strategically manage the foreign exchange market with a view to reducing the country’s import bills and halting depletion of its foreign reserves.
On Feb. 12, the CBN had intervened to the tune of 210 million dollars to cater for requests in the various segments of the market.
Meanwhile, the naira continued its stability in the foreign exchange market, exchanging at an average of N360 to a dollar in the Bureau De Change segment of the market.