The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited regained 1.63 per cent on Wednesday as banks began to update the investing community on their plans to exit the forbearance regime of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A few days ago, the banking sector regulator suspended the payment of dividend to shareholders, issuance of bonuses to directors and investment in foreign subsidiaries until affected financial institutions cleaned up their balance sheet.
The prospect of not receiving dividends triggered sell-offs in banking equities and other Nigerian stocks on Monday and Tuesday, but after banks began to assure shareholders of exiting the regime this year, tension started to calm.
Business Post observed that apart from the consumer goods index, which depreciated by 0.16 per cent, every other sector closed higher at midweek.
The energy space grew by 7.49 per cent, the commodity counter appreciated by 5.63 per cent, the banking sector rose by 3.25 per cent, the insurance industry went up by 2.02 per cent, and the industrial goods space improved by 0.09 per cent.
As a result, the All-Share Index (ASI) gained 1,876.71 points to settle at 116,786.87 points compared with Tuesday’s 114,910.16 points and the market capitalisation soared by N1.184 trillion to N73.681 trillion from N72.497 trillion.
A total of 640.1 million shares valued at N26.0 billion exchanged hands in 19,727 deals during the session versus the 721.8 million shares worth N22.0 billion transacted in 22,100 deals a day earlier, indicating a decline in the trading volume and number of deals by 11.32 per cent and 10.74 per cent, respectively, and a rise in the trading value by 18.18 per cent.
Zenith Bank topped the activity chart on Wednesday with 149.9 million stocks sold for N7.2 billion, Access Holdings traded 48.6 million equities worth N1.0 billion, UBA transacted 43.0 million shares valued at N1.5 billion, Nigerian Breweries exchanged 37.7 million stocks for N2.2 billion, and Fidelity Bank traded 30.8 million equities worth N568.5 million.
The biggest price gainer for the day was NEM Insurance with a 10.00 per cent growth to sell for N16.50, Beta Glass firmed up by 9.99 per cent to N250.95, Seplat Energy appreciated by 9.78 per cent to N5,450.00, Thomas Wyatt grew by 9.73 per cent to N2.03, and Linkage Assurance increased by 9.56 per cent to N1.49.
Eterna suffered the heaviest loss after it crumbled by 10.00 per cent to N38.70, Secure Electronic Technology dropped 9.68 per cent to trade at 56 Kobo, Legend Internet lost 9.66 per cent to quote at N6.55, FTN Cocoa declined by 6.07 per cent to N2.63, and Guinea Insurance slipped by 5.00 per cent to 76 Kobo.
At the close of transactions, Customs Street recorded 38 price gainers and 30 price losers, implying a positive market breadth index and strong investor sentiment.