Trading activity on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) was moderate in the session on 16th Friday 2026, with the equity turnover declining by 29.2% to KES 250.60 million from KES 353.95 million previously. This contraction in activity contributed to a generally flat market performance, as reflected by the Nairobi All-Share Index (NASI), which remained unchanged at 193.87. The overall market capitalization also saw a marginal dip, closing at KES 3,059.46 billion.
The top gainers for the day were led by Total Kenya, which surged by 6.7% to close at KES 39.60. Nation Media Group and Eaagads Plc both recorded gains of 4.9%, closing at KES 12.85 and KES 20.45, respectively. Crown Paints and CIC Group made it to the top 5 gainers, rising by 3.1% and 2.7%.
On the losing side, Sanlam Kenya led losers with a 3.0% drop to KES 8.38. Britam Holdings followed closely, declining by 2.9% to KES 9.32. Uchumi Supermarkets and Olympia Capital Holdings both shed 2.4%, while Shri Krishna Overseas Plc lost 2.2%.
NSE Indices Performance
The session presented a mixed picture among key indices. The NSE-20 Index posted a negligible gain of 0.0%, closing at 3,256.54, while the Banking Sector Index edged up by 0.1% to 213.62. Conversely, the NSE-10 and NSE-25 Indices recorded slight declines of 0.1% and 0.0%, respectively.
Sector performance was divided. Gains were noted in several large-cap stocks, including Diamond Trust Bank Kenya, British American Tobacco Kenya, KCB Group, and Kenya Power & Lighting Company Plc, which advanced by 0.9%, 0.7%, 0.4%, and 0.3%. However, these gains were offset by declines in other major counters. KenGen, East African Breweries, Jubilee Holdings, and ABSA Bank Kenya fell by 1.0%, 0.8%, 0.4%, and 0.2%, respectively, collectively subduing the overall market momentum. Notably, Safaricom, a heavyweight on the bourse, ended the day unchanged at KES 29.70.
Trading activity was dominated by NCBA Group, which was the most active counter with a turnover of KES 55.74 million. Safaricom followed as the second most traded stock, recording a cumulative turnover of KES 42.02 million. Meanwhile, on the derivatives market, the number of open interest contracts declined by 12% to 6,940.
Foreign investor participation showed a significant reduction in activity, though the market continued to experience net outflows. Foreign buys plummeted by 65.7% to KES 26.03 million, while foreign sales saw a sharper contraction of 80.5% to KES 37.50 million. Consequently, net foreign outflows stood at KES 11.47 million, a substantial 90.1% improvement from the net outflow of KES 116.30 million recorded in the prior session.
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