The two weeks suspension elapsed on Thursday.

But lifting the suspension was delayed till yesterday, apparently to give relevant stakeholders more time to interact.

Yesterday, trading on the floor of NSE, continued on a downward trend, occasioned by major price losses suffered by most blue chip companies, especially in the petroleum marketing sub-sector, causing market indices to fall further by 1.9 per cent.

Specifically, at close of trading yesterday, the price losers chart was dominated by most blue chip companies as 60 of them recorded price depreciation while the less capitalised ones, comprising of 19 companies, were on the gainers table, making price losses to outweigh gains.

Specifically, market capitalisation was down by N100 billion or 1.9 per cent, from N5.27 trillion recorded on Monday to N5.17 trillion yesterday, while the All-share index, which measures the performance of quoted companies, fell by 448.26 points or 1.9 per cent, from 23,009.10 to 22,560.84.

Further analysis of yesterday's transactions indicated that Nestle Nigeria Plc led others on the gainers' chart with 689 kobo, to close at N200.00 per share while Guinness Nigeria Plc followed, adding 617 kobo, to close at N129.67 per share. PZ Cushons Plc, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Plc also added 67 kobo, 38 kobo and 34 kobo, to close at N20.00, N23.50, N8.17 and N13.89 per share.

On the other hand, two of the companies in the petroleum-marketing sub-sector, Conoil Nigeria Plc and African Petroleum Plc, lost 240 kobo and 219 kobo, to close at N45.60 and N42.40 per share. Nigerian Breweries Plc followed, shedding 200 kobo, to close at N55.00 per share. Total Nigeria Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, UAC-Properties Plc, UACN Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc featured on the list, shedding 100 kobo, 80 kobo, 80 kobo, 79 kobo and 71 kobo, to close at N130.00, N15.95, N15.25, N37.01 and N14.02.

Other major losers include, UBN Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Ashaka Cement Plc, West African Portland Company Plc, CCNN Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and Nigerian Bottling Company Plc, shedding 63 kobo, 62 kobo, 59 kobo, 50 kobo, 49 kobo, 48 kobo, 43 kobo and 38 kobo, to close at N11.97, N13.25, N11.35, N31.00, N9.42, N11.35, N10.97 and N23.00 per share.

With transactions done in 3,299 deals, the banking sub-sector maintained it's dominance in volume terms with 214.3 million shares worth N1.4 billion while the insurance sub-sector followed with 70 million units valued at N59.1 million in 505 deals.

The food/beverages and tobacco sub-sector featured with 26.1 million shares worth N358.9 million in 458 deals.

United Bank for Africa Plc and First City Monument Bank Plc buoyed activities in the banking sub-sector with 27.7 million shares and 26.5 million units, valued at N305 million and N141.9 million in 433 and 65 deals while the insurance sub-sector was strengthened by activities in the shares of Continental Reinsurance Plc and Regency Alliance Insurance Plc, which traded 18.4 million shares and 10 million units, valued at N23.5 million and N5 million units in 35 and three deals.

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc boosted activities in the food/beverages and tobacco sub-sector with 16.9 million shares worth N275.7 million in 111 deals.

The Guardian Newspaper, Wednesday September 2, 2009.