The bulls, yesterday, upstaged the bears at the re-opening of the market on the trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, as the All-Share index of the Exchange rose by 1.6 per cent.

Specifically, at the close of trading yesterday, price gains outweighed losses as 46 stocks recorded price appreciation, while 43 constituted the losers' table.

Precisely, corporate performance indices, the All-Share index which measures the performance of companies increased by 435.73 points or 1.6 per cent, from 25,813.55 at which is closed on Friday to 26,249.28, while market capitalisation appreciated by N100 billion or 1.6 per cent, from N5.8 trillion to N5.9 trillion.

One of the petroleum marketing giants, Total Oil Nigeria Plc emerged the day's highest price gainer, adding 695 kobo to close at N176.00 per share, while African Petroleum Plc followed, adding 498 kobo, to close at N104.77 per share.

Guinness Nigeria Plc, Oando Nigeria Plc and Benue Cement Company Plc featured, adding 255 kobo, 240 kobo and 180 kobo, to close at N127.55, N88.05 and N44.80 per share.

Other major gainers of yesterday's transaction include Flourmill Plc, UACN Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, PZ Cussons Plc, UBN Plc and BOC Gas Plc also added 113 kobo, 100 kobo, 99 kobo, 92 kobo and 81 kobo, to close at N23.99, N36.00, N20.96, N19.44, N17.07 and N15.24 per share.

However, Nestle Nigeria Plc topped the losers' table, shedding 600 kobo, to close at N182.00 per share. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc followed in the list with 131 kobo, to close at N28.03 per share.

Nigerian Breweries Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), UAC-Properties Plc, Costain West African Plc and RT Briscoe Plc also lost 130 kobo, 50 kobo, 47 kobo, 44 kobo, 39 kobo and 27 kobo, to close at N48.70, N9.57, N9.03, N16.20, N7.60 and N5.42 per share.

The banking sub-sector maintained its dominance in volume terms with 256.5 million shares, worth N2.5 billion in 4,733 deals. The insurance sub-sector followed with 72.8 million, in 845 deals.

The food/beverages and tobacco sub-sector ranked third with 30.6 million units, valued at N168.1 million, in 642 deals.

The banking sub-sector was buoyed by activities in the shares of Zenith Bank Plc, which traded 70.5 million shares, worth N929 million, in 700 deals, while Spring Bank Plc, followed with 21.4 million units, worth N120.1 million, in 57 deals.

Goldlink Insurance Plc and Unic Insurance Plc dominated in volume terms in the insurance sub-sector with 13.5 million shares and 12.6 million units, worth N6.7 million and N6.4 million, in 13 and 29 deals respectively.

The food/beverages tobacco sub-sector was boosted by activity in the shares of Big Treat Plc, which traded 21.7 million shares worth N52.1 million, in 47 deals.