The CBN recently barred local investors from participating in its treasury bill auctions in a bid to draw more foreign interest to boost dollar liquidity and prop up the naira.
Following the ban of individuals and small firms from investing in treasury bills by the Central Bank of Nigeria, investors poured money into shares instead, which boosted the market capitalisation of equities by N245bn.
The Chief Executive Officer, EFG Hermes Nigeria Limited, Lillian Olubi, had predicted that the equities market would see an increased investment and appetite from investors, following the CBN’s directive barring individuals and local corporates from investing in Open Market Operations auctions.
Olubi said the CBN directive would have a positive impact on the equities market, in which case such corporate organisations like pension managers would need to divert more funds into equities market investments.
In addition, the interest rates in the treasury bills market had crashed into the single digit region at the end of the Primary Market Auction on Wednesday.
The Managing Director, Afrinvest Securities Limited, Mr Ayodeji Ebo, had said following the crash of interest rates of treasury bills, investors’ search for alternative investments would intensify.
The CBN, recently, auctioned N300bn naira worth of open market securities, but shut out local investors out of the sale – the second since the ban was introduced, which left investors seeking alternative places to park their money.
One fund manager, disclosed that he had been investing in cash and bank deposits since the CBN announcement, said he thought the treasury auction ban would be relaxed soon as excess liquidity affected the markets.
The Nigerian equities market on Thursday closed on a positive note as the All Share Index rose by 1.91% to close at 26,843.11 points. The market capitalisation closed at N13.067 trillion, gaining N245 billion from the previous close of N12.822 trillion on Wednesday.
Aggregate volume of traded stocks closed at 624.84 million units, valued at N10.02 billion in 6,426 deals.
The market breadth closed positive as 34 stocks gained while 3 stocks declined in their share prices.
Percentage Gainers
ECOCORP Plc with 9.79% growth led 33 other gainers closing at N3.70 from the previous close of N3.37. Carverton and Guinness among other gainers also grew their share prices by 9.76% and 9.70% respectively.
Banking stocks grew significantly at the close of trade today with First Bank of Nigeria Holding (FBNH) taking the lead in that sector.
- FBNH grew its share price by 9.65% to close at N6.25 from the previous close of N5.70
- Access Bank grew its share price by 9.64% to close at N10.80 from the previous close of N9.85, hitting eleven straight days of gains.
- FCMB grew its share price by 9.50% to close at N1.96 from the previous close of N1.79.
- Wema Bank grew its share price by 9.37% to close at N0.70 from the previous close of N0.64
- Unity Bank grew its share price by 8.93% to close at N0.61 from the previous close of N0.56.
- UBA grew its share price by 8.82% to close at N7.40 from the previous close of N6.80.
- Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) grew its share price by 8.70% to close at N7.50 from the previous close of N6.90.
- Fidelity Bank grew its share price by 8.42% to close at N2.06 from the previous close of N1.90.
- Jaiz grew its share price by 8.33% to close at N0.65 from the previous close of N0.60.
- Zenith Bank grew its share price by 7.58% to close at N19.15 from the previous close of N17.80.
- Guaranty Trust Bank grew its share price by 6.79% to close at N29.90 from the previous close of N28.00.
- Stanbic IBTC grew its share price by grew by 2.43% to close at N38.00 from the previous close of N37.1
- Sterling Bank grew its share price by 1.36% to close at N2.23 from the previous close of N2.20.
Percentage Losers
Only 3 stocks declined in the share prices at the close of traded today. These include Ikeja Hotel, Champions Breweries and MTN Nigeria, shedding their share prices by 9.38%, 9.09% and 0.12% respectively.