The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) closed the trading session on Thursday, 8th January 2026, with measured optimism as the benchmark Nairobi All Share Index (NASI) registered a gain of 0.4%, closing trading at at 192.08 points. This upward movement was largely driven by selective buying in key banking and commercial stocks, although the overall market sentiment was tempered by notable declines in other sectors and a significant contraction in trading activity.
Sectoral Performance and Key Movers
The stock performance varied sharply with the top performers led by Shri Krishana Overseas Plc surging 8.8% to close at KES 8.16, followed by Longhorn Publishers and Sameer Africa, which advanced 7.9% and 5.3% respectively. In contrast, the losers were led by WPP Scangroup, which experienced a significant decline of 8.3%, and Uchumi Supermarkets, which fell 7.6%. Other notable decliners included Absa Bank Kenya, TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya, and East African Breweries Limited, which shed 0.4%, 0.3%, and 0.2% respectively, illustrating a mixed and selective trading pattern among investors.
Trading activity witnessed a pronounced decline, with total market turnover decreasing by 37.9% to KES 598.22 million, down from KES 963.11 million recorded in the previous session. This contraction in volume indicates a cautious approach from market participants. In terms of liquidity, Safaricom remained the most traded stock, dominating activity with a turnover of KES 14.35 million. Equity Group Holdings followed as the second most active counter, attracting trades worth KES 11.74 million.
NSE Indices
The broader market indices reflected the day’s tentative gains. The NASI closed at 192.08, up 0.41%. The NSE 20 Share Index and the NSE 25 Share Index posted more modest increases of 0.7% and 0.5%, closing at 3,221.29 and 5,264.11 points respectively. The Banking Sector Index showed strength, rising by 0.60% to close at 211.42 points, underscoring the sector’s role in supporting the overall market performance.
Also Read: Investor Confidence High as Kenya’s Latest Treasury Bond Auction Oversubscribed by 20%
