Precisely, at close of trading yesterday, the breweries sub-sector, among other highly capitalised stocks recorded price losses as 44 of them depreciated in price while 25 less capitalised ones constituted the gainers chart.

Precisely, the All-share index fell by 317.94 points of 1.4 precisely from 23,327.04 recorded last week Friday to 23,009.10 while market capitalisation slide by N100 billion or 1.9 per cent, from N5.3 trillion to N5.2 trillion.

UACN Plc topped the gainers table with 180 kobo, to close at N37.80 per share while Benue Cement Company of Nigeria Plc followed with 110 kobo, to close at N39.10 per share.

Other major price gainers of yesterday transaction includes Flour Mills Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Access Bank Plc, RT Briscoe Plc and Starcomms Plc, adding 108 kobo, 65 kobo, 50 kobo, 31 kobo, 23 kobo and 9 kobo, to close at N23.08, N16.75, N31.50, N6.58, N4.89 and N2.93 per share.

However, Guinness Nigeria Plc led the losers table, shedding 650 kobo, to close at N123.50 per share while Nigerian Breweries Plc followed with a loss of 300 kobo, to close at N57.00 per share, African Petroleum Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Ecobank Transactional Incorporated Plc (ETI), Glaxosmithkline Consumer Plc, Ashaka Cement Plc, featured, shedding 23 kobo, 77 kobo, 70 kobo, 66 kobo, 60 kobo, to close at N44.59, N14.73, N13.55, N19.25, N11.94 and N14.25 per share.

First Bank Plc, CCNN Plc, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Dangote Flour Mills Plc and Constain West African Plc also loss, 60 kobo, 52 kobo, 40 kobo, 38 kobo, 36 kobo, 33 kobo, 30 kobo and 21 kobo, to close at N14.25, N9.91, N7.79, N7.45, N11.83, N6.27, N5.72 and N5.11 per share.

As usual, the banking sub-sector remains the most active in volume terms with 94.9 million shares, worth N747 million in 2,808 deals.

The insurance sub-sector followed, with 36.6 million units, worth N35.4 million in 607 deals. The construction sub-sector featured with 8.6 million shares, worth N48.3 million in 77 deals.

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc boosted activities in the banking sub-sector with 20.4 million shares, valued at N280.6 million in 484 deals while, Sterling Bank Plc followed with 16.8 million units, worth N25.3 million in 79 deals.

Continental Reinsurance Plc dominated in volume terms in the insurance sub-sector with 9.8 million shares, valued at N12 million in 25 deals. International Energy Insurance Plc followed with 5.7 million units, valued at N3.8 million in 71 deals.

The construction sub-sector was energised by activities in the shares of Multiverse Resources Plc, which traded 6.5 million shares, worth N48.3 million.

In all, investors exchanged 180.1 million shares, worth N1.2 billion in 5,595 deals.

The Guardian Newspaper, Tuesday September 1, 2009