Berger Paints Plc has post 83 per cent increase in profit for its 2008 financial year.

According to the Nigerian Stock Exchange report for the week ended April 30, 2009, the company’s profit after tax and extra-ordinary income stood at N205.63m in 2008, as against N112.62m in the comparable period of 2007.

Turnover for the period under review stood at N2.5bn, indicating an increase of N259m or 11 per cent over N2.2bn recorded in 2007.

The NSE report noted that board of directors of the company had recommended a dividend of 30 kobo per share to its shareholders.

In the food and beverages sub-sector, the NSE report noted that the audited result of Nigerian Bottling Company Plc for the year ended December 31, 2008 showed turnover of N80bn

This represented a 17 per cent increase over N68.5bn recorded by the company in its 2007 financial period.

Profit after tax and extra-ordinary items stood at N15.7m compared with N3.1m in 2007.

In the over-the-counter bond market, 225.5 million units valued at N232bn were traded last week in 1,617 transactions.

This represented a volume decrease of 42 per cent, from 391.01 million units, valued at N419.9bn exchanged by investors the preceding week in 3,293 deals.

The most active bond (measured by turnover volume) was the 4th FGN Bond 2010 Series 4 with a traded volume of 55.3 million units valued at N55.7bn in 427 deals.

This was followed by the 6th FGN Bond 2012 Series 1 with a traded volume of 25.8 million units valued at N25.83bn in 216 transactions.

According to the report, 23 out of the 40 available bonds were traded last week, compared with 27 in the preceding week.

On the price gainers’ chart, 42 stocks appreciated in price last week lower than 66 the preceding week.

Nestle Nigeria Plc led on the gainers’ chart with a gain of N31.10 to close at N178.29, while Guinness Nigeria Plc followed with N3.91 to close at N102.11 per share.

On the other hand, 60 stocks depreciated in price last week higher than 42 the preceding week.

Two Petroleum (Marketing) stocks led on the price gainers’ chart.

African Petroleum led, dropping by N14.00 close at N69,00 while Conoil Plc followed with N3.36 to close at N63.87 per share.