Kenya Market Watch | June 17th 2015: Kenya equity market continued on the positive region, market cap adds KES 2.0 billion

Nairobi, Kenya (Capital Markets in Africa):- Kenya equity market continued on the positive region at the end of today’s trading session. The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE20) index surged by 17.20 points to close at 4,790.42 points and Nairobi All Share Index slide by 0.14 points to settle at 163.02. However, the FTSE NSE 25 and FTSE NSE 15 indices remained flat to close at 217.67 and 217.31 points respectively. The market capitalization added KES 2.01 billion (or 0.08 percent) to close at KES 2,280.27 billion.

Looking at the market activities, the volume of shares traded dropped by 58.68 percent to close at 7.80 million and total turnover gained by 19.97 percent to close at KES 619.62 million. British-American Tobacco Kenya was the largest mover of the day with a turnover of KES 414.36 million representing 66.87 percent of total market turnover. Also, ATHI RIVER MINIG Kenya was the second largest mover of the day with a turnover of KES 34.164 million accounted for 5.5 percent of total market turnover. Equally, SAFARICOM was the third largest turnover of KES 31.410 million and fourth largest was TPS SERENA with turnover recorded at KES 28.994 million. In term of type of investor, foreign buys stood at 15.17 percent of total turnover, while foreign sales stood at 19.19 percent of total turnover.

From the market shakers and laggards’ viewpoint, LIMURU TEA was the highest market leaders edging up by 8.74 percent to close the day at KES 1,033.00. It is follow by OLYMPIA CAPITAL, by gaining 5.00 percent to close the day at KES 5.35 and BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO climbed by 4.56 percent to settle at KES 733.00. Equally, KENYA AIRWAYS and UCHUMI Supermarket surged by 2.94 percent (to close at KES 7.00) and 2.79 percent (to end at KES 9.20). Conversely, East African Portland Cement emerged as the top laggard, losing 3.57 percent to close the day at KES 54.00. Also, BRITAM dropped by 3.41 percent to trade at KES 21.25 on 164,000 traded securities. Likewise, HOME AFRIKA and EVEREADY Kenya plunged by 3.39 percent and 2.30 percent to end at KES 2.85 and KES 4.25 respectively.

On currency front, Kenyan Shilling depreciated against major trading currencies today. US Dollar appreciated by 0.17 percent to trade at KES 97.49 against the Kenyan Shilling and British Pound rose by 0.35 percent to close at KES 152.42 relative to the Kenya Shilling. Also, the Kenyan Shilling depreciated against South African Rand, Tanzanian Shilling and Rwandan Franc by 0.27 percent to close at KES 7.86, 0.23 percent to close at KSE 32.67, 1.45 percent to close at KES 7.39 respectively. However, the Kenyan Shilling appreciated by 0.04 percent and 0.51 percent against Euro and Ugandan Shilling respectively.