Ghana Equity Markets | 25 Aug 2015: Ghana Equity Markets in bearish mood … investors lose GHS 93 million.

Accra, Ghana (Capital Markets in Africa):- The Ghana equity markets closed in red at the end of today’s trading session. The market capitalization was recorded at GHS 63,559 million after plunging by GHS 93 million (about -0.15 percent) relative to market capitalization of GHS 63,652 million recorded at previous trading session.

The benchmark composite index shaved off 4.80 points or 0.79 percent to close the day at 2,152.59 points, representing a year-to-date performance 0f -4.80 percent. In the same mood, financial Index plunged by 3.53 points or 0.16 percent to trade at 2,138.88 points with a year-to-date return of -4.69 percent.

From the market activity perspective, the total volume was 169,852 (a fall of about 48.86 percent from previous trading session total volume of 169,852 shares) and total traded value was GHS 96,113 (down by 28.85 percent compared with previous trading session value of GHS 74,591). CAL Bank had 30,321 shares (almost 34.91 percent of the total volume) to value at GHS 29,412 (about 30.60 percent of the total value traded). Other most actively traded stocks were Ecobank Transnational Incorporation (recorded 28,800 shares at GHS 9,467), Ghana Oil (recorded a volume of 12,700 shares valued at GHS 23,534), SIC Insurance (registered 5,000 shares and  valued at GHS 800) and Fan Milk Ghana (traded 3,604 shares with total value of GHS 21,408). The top five most actively traded stocks by volume accounted for almost 93 percent of the total volume and about 88 percent of the total value traded.

Looking at the price movers and shakers, out of the 7 traded securities via 72 transactions, 1 gainer and seven losers were recorded, so the market breath/sentiment ended negative. Ghana Oil ended at GHS 1.85 after gaining GHS 0.03 or 1.65 percent.  On the losers’ league Guinness Ghana  fell to GHS 2.34 by losing GHS 0.40 or 14.60 percent, SIC Insurance ended at GHS 0.16 after falling by 5.88 percent and CAL Bank plunged by 1.02 percent to close at GHS 0.97. Ghana Commercial Bank went down by 0.49 percent to end at GHS 4.05.  Benso Oil Palm crashed to GHS 4.17 from GHS 4.20 by plunging by 0.71 percent and Fan Milk descended by 0.17 percent to end at GHS 5.94. Standard Chartered Bank also dropped by 0.06 percent to end at GHS 17.04.

On the foreign exchange market front, the Ghanaian Cedi continued to drop against major trading currencies. The Cedi traded against the US dollar at GHS 4.0346 by depreciating by 1.36 percent and traded at GHS 4.6679 against the Euro by falling by 4.54 percent. The Cedi also lost value against Swiss franc to settle at GHS 4.3056 by losing 4.02 percent. Ghanaian currency dropped by 1.164 percent to close at GHS 6.3467 but added 0.85 percent to end at GHS 0.3063. against British pound and South Africa rand respectively.