Price losses yesterday out weighed gainers on the trading floor of the Nigerian stock exchange, causing the4 market to reopened for the week on a bearish note, as market capitalisation dropped by N87 billion.

Investors also staked 228.5 million shares, worth N1.6 billion in 6,012 deals, down from 428.4 million units worth N2.8 billion exchanged in 7,011 deals on Friday.

Specifically, at the close of transactions yesterday, only 18 companies recorded price appreciations while 54 stocks constituted the losers chart.

Precisely, corporate performance indices the All-share index fell by 362.77 points or 1.6 per cent, from 23,226.28 recorded last week Friday to 22863.5 while market capitalisation slide by N87 billion, from N5,593 trillion to N5,506 trillion.

UACN Nigeria Plc topped the days losers table with 199 kobo,m to close at N39.91 per share while Nigerian Bottling Company Plc followed, shedding 142 kobo, to close at N27.08 per share. Flour Mill Plc, Alumaco Nigeria Plc, Ecobank Trans National Incorporated Plc and Dangote Sugar Refining Plc shed 141 kobo, 92 kobo, 80 kobo and 79 kobo, to close at N36.60, N17,50, 15.20 and N15.17 per share.

Furthermore, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Glaxo Smithkline Plc, Julius Berger Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Plc, Skye Bank Plc, and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company lost 70 kobo, 68 kobo, 50 kobo, 50 kobo, 46 kobo, 45 kobo,m 38 kobo, and 36 kobo, to close at N15.17, N13.00, N26.00, N28.00, N8.81, N8.65, N7.31 and N8.19 per share.

On the other hand, Unilever Nigeria Plc led others on the gainers table with 100 kobo, to close at N25.00 per share. Dangote Flour Mill Plc followed, adding 61 kobo, to close at N12.98 per share.

Ashaka Cement Plc, Presco Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, UAC Properties Plc, Afribank Plc, Eternaoil Plc, Wema Bank Plc, FTN Cocoa Plc and Law Union Rock Plc added 34 kobo, 21 kobo, 20 kobo, 15 kobo, 12 kobo, 6 kobo, 4 kobo and 3 kobo, to close at N15.30, N4.78, N57.20, N21.20, N3.16, N6.01, 1.34, N0.90 and N0.63 per share.

With transaction recorded in 3,234 deals, the banking sub sector dominated in volume terms with 109.2 million shares, worth N6584.7 million. The insurance sub-sector followed with 39.5 million units, worth N42.2 million in 435 deals.

The food/beverages and tobacco sub-sector featured with 11.4 million units, worth N183.7 million in 573 deals.

A review of activities in the sub-sectors showed that the banking sub-sector was lifted by the 25.5 million shares of Fin Bank Plc, worth N19.5 million in 196 deals. While Skye Bank Plc followed with 13.3 million unit, worth N97.4 million in 239 deals.

For the insurance sub-sector, 9.2 million shares of Guaranty Trust Assurance Plc worth N19.6 million enhanced the volume in the sub-sector followed by Lasaco Assurance Plc with 7.6 million unit, worth N4 million in 45 deals.

Similarly, Dangote Flour Mills Plc's 4.7 million shares, worth N57.9 million strengthened the volume in the food/beverages and tobacco sub-sector.

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