The Nigerian Stock Exchange on Tuesday closed on a negative note, declining by 1.83 per cent as investors sold off shares from across the board to take profits.
The market had opened the year the previous day on a positive note, as major indices, NSE ASI and market capitalisation depreciated by 1.83 per cent.
Consequently, the All- Share Index dropped by 751.25 basis points or 1.83 per cent from 41,147.39 index points the previous day to 40,396.14 while the market capitalisation of equities depreciated by N393 billion to close at N21,122 trillion from N21.515 trillion.
On the activity chart, the premium sub-sector dominated in volume terms with 106.03 million shares exchanged in 2,123 deals.
The sub-sector was enhanced by activities in shares of Access Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc. The insurance sub-sector boosted by activities in shares of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc and Lasaco Assurance Plc followed with 68.22 million units traded in 403 deals.
In all, investors exchanged a total of 465.68 million shares exchanged in 7,576 deals. Further analysis of the day’s trading showed that BOC Gases Plc led the gainers’ chart by 9.72 per cent to close at N10.50 per share.
NEM Insurance Plc followed with 9.50 per cent to close at N1.96 per share and Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc with a gain of 8.82 per cent to close at 74 kobo per share.