The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) closed today’s trading session with mixed results, as market activity slowed compared to the previous day. A total of 16,470,500 shares were traded in 1,585 deals, generating a turnover of KES 314,257,451.00. This marked a decline of 35% in trading volume, a 17% drop in turnover, and a 23% reduction in deals compared to Wednesday, April 9. Despite this dip, the NSE market capitalization rose to KES 1.96 trillion, reflecting underlying resilience in Kenya’s equities market.
Market Activity Overview
Today’s session saw participation from 50 listed equities, with 23 stocks recording gains and 20 ending in losses. Express Kenya stood out as the day’s top gainer, with its share price surging by 8.57% to close at KES 3.80 per share. Other gainers included I&M Holdings (+7.82%), Sanlam Kenya (+7.71%), and Kakuzi (+7.06%), which posted strong performances.
Conversely, Eaagads led the losers, with its share price falling by 9.09% to close at KES 11.50 per share. Liberty Kenya Holdings (-8.97%), Sameer Africa (-4.23%), and Nation Media Group (-3.62%) also faced significant declines.
Safaricom continued its dominance as the most actively traded stock, exchanging 8.72 million shares during the session. KenGen followed with 1.85 million shares, while Equity Group Holdings and Kenya Power & Lighting Company saw volumes of 1.83 million and 917,500 shares traded, respectively.
Performance of NSE Market Indices
Key indices on the NSE reflected an upward trend today. The benchmark NSE All Share Index (NASI) rose by 2.16 points (1.75%) to close at 125.76. While the NASI continues to face short-term declines, including a 1-week loss of 4.18% and a 4-week dip of 4.41%, it still boasts a year-to-date gain of 1.85%.
The NSE 10 Share Index climbed by 2.09%, the NSE 20 Share Index rose by 0.92%, and the NSE 25 Share Index gained 2.21%. Although these indices show weekly losses, the NSE 20 Share Index remains robust, holding a year-to-date gain of 6.37%.
Investor Sentiment and Market Trends
Today’s performance highlights cautious optimism among investors on the NSE. While trading activity slowed, the positive movement in indices and the rise in market capitalization indicate resilience amidst global and local market fluctuations. Safaricom’s strong trading volumes and Express Kenya’s notable share price appreciation also underscore opportunities within Kenya’s equities market.
For investors, monitoring the performance of key stocks and indices on the NSE is crucial. Safaricom remains a vital player due to its consistent trading activity, while companies like Express Kenya and I&M Holdings showed promising gains today. However, with losers such as Eaagads and Liberty Kenya Holdings facing sharp declines, assessing risk and diversifying portfolios is essential.
