NGX: Equity markets ended the week on a high as investors pocketed N962 billion

Investors in the Nigerian equity market earned N962 billion at the close of trading on Friday.

This follows a surge in the prices of shares such as UPL, Guinness and Royalex on the stock exchange floor.

The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) increased to 198,407.3 points from 196,908.76 points recorded the previous day.

After five hours of trading on the capital market, equity capitalization rose to N127.3 trillion from N126.3 trillion recorded by the exchange on Wednesday.

Market breadth was positive, with 35 stocks rising, 20 declining, and 92 stocks unchanged in 53,066 transactions.

A total of 591,042,398 shares were traded worth N35 billion.

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UPL, Guinness and Royalex led the gainers chart, with share price growth of 10% each, closing at N5.50, N385.00 and N1.87 per share, up from N5.00, N350.00 and N1.70 per share.

RT Briscoe, Learn Africa and NGX Group led the rest of the price declines with price drops of 9.17%, 8.33% and 6.12% respectively to close at N10.40, N8.25 and N176.50 per share, down from the previous N11.45, N9.00 and N188.00 per share.

On the volume index, First Holding Company led trading with 70 million shares in 697 transactions, followed by Access Bank Holding which traded 67 million shares in 1,731 transactions.

GTCO traded 33 million shares in 1,719 transactions.

On the value index, MTN Nigeria traded shares worth N6.6 billion in 3,587 transactions, followed by GTCO, which traded equities worth N3.9 billion in 1,719 transactions.

Aradel traded shares worth N3.5 billion in 1,313 transactions.

Babajide Okeowo