Profit-taking by investors last week halted the upward momentum of the Nigerian Exchange Limited, leading to a marginal decline in key market indicators.
Market capitalisation slipped to N128.969 trillion from N129.125 trillion recorded the previous week, while the All-Share Index fell by 0.12 per cent to 200,913.06 points from 201,156.86 points.
Trading activity also showed mixed performance, as a total of 3.95 billion shares valued at N201.312 billion were exchanged in 359,642 deals, compared to 8.76 billion shares worth N267.253 billion traded in 193,473 deals the week before.
Sectoral analysis indicated that the Financial Services Industry dominated trading by volume, accounting for 2.88 billion shares valued at N102.259 billion in 139,093 deals, representing 72.94 per cent of total volume and 50.80 per cent of value.
The ICT and Agriculture sectors followed with notable contributions.
Top traded equities by volume included Wema Bank Plc, Access Holdings Plc, and United Bank for Africa Plc, which jointly accounted for 1.448 billion shares worth N43.191 billion.
Despite the overall dip, several indices posted gains, including the Insurance, Oil & Gas, and Commodity indices, reflecting pockets of investor confidence.
Market breadth remained relatively balanced, with 47 equities recording gains, 45 declining, and 56 closing unchanged, underscoring cautious trading sentiment among investors.