The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) began the week on 16th March 2026 on a positive note, with key indicators registering modest gains despite a slowdown in trading activity. The Nairobi All Share Index (NASI) rose by 0.2 percent to close the trading session at 211.63 points, reflecting a slight improvement in overall market capitalization and investor sentiment. The market’s performance was largely supported by gains in several large-cap banking stocks, which helped offset losses recorded in other major counters.
Among the top gainers during the session was BOC Kenya, which recorded the highest price appreciation after its share price rose by 4.3 percent to close at KES 126.25. NCBA Group followed with a 3.7 percent gain to KES 91.25, while Kakuzi Plc advanced by 2.7 percent to KES 423.50. Other notable gainers included Eveready East Africa, which rose by 2.5 percent to KES 1.23, and Centum Investment Company, which gained 2.0 percent to close at KES 15.10.
On the losing side, Nation Media Group recorded the steepest decline, with its share price falling by 5.9 percent to KES 16.00. TPS Eastern Africa followed closely with a 5.3 percent drop to KES 16.20. Additional losses were recorded by Home Afrika, which declined by 3.5 percent to KES 1.64, Liberty Kenya Holdings, which fell by 2.9 percent to KES 10.10, and Standard Group PLC, which shed 2.4 percent to close at KES 6.42.
NSE Indices Performance
Despite the improvement in market indices, trading activity during the session at NSE declined significantly. The total equity turnover fell by 30.2 percent to KES 673.42 million, compared with KES 964.59 million recorded in the previous trading session. Nonetheless, the overall market capitalization rose slightly to approximately KES 3.51 trillion, reflecting the marginal rise in share prices across several listed counters.
Moreover, other indices also recorded modest gains, with the NSE 10 Share Index, NSE 20 Share Index, and NSE 25 Share Index all edging higher during the trading session. The banking sector also showed an uptick, with the sector index posting a 0.7 percent rise to 243.93 points.
Among the stocks that drove the market upward were NCBA Group, ABSA Bank Kenya, Co-operative Bank of Kenya, and Equity Group Holdings. These counters registered gains of 3.7 percent, 1.9 percent, 0.5 percent, and 0.3 percent respectively. The performance of these banking stocks provided significant support to the broader market indices.
However, the upward momentum was partly weighed down by declines in several blue-chip stocks including KCB Group, Safaricom PLC, Stanbic Holdings PLC, and East African Breweries Limited, which posted losses of 0.6 percent, 0.3 percent, 0.3 percent, and 0.1 percent respectively.
The day’s foreign investor participation remained negative, although the level of outflows eased compared to the previous session. Foreign investors recorded net outflows amounting to KES 185.13 million, projecting an improvement from the KES 468.07 million in net outflows reported in the prior session. Total foreign purchases rose sharply to KES 215.04 million from KES 41.47 million previously, while foreign sales declined to KES 400.17 million from KES 509.54 million. This indicates a gradual improvement in foreign investor participation, even though selling pressure continued to outweigh buying activity.
In terms of trading volumes, Equity Group Holdings emerged as the most actively traded stock of the day, with an aggregate turnover of KES 209.44 million. It was followed by Stanbic Holdings PLC, which recorded a cumulative turnover of KES 159.71 million, highlighting sustained investor interest in banking sector stocks.
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