Kenya Market Watch | May 14th 2015: Market cap gains KES 7.6 billion but NSE20 slightly lost 1.5bps

Nairobi, Kenya (Capital Markets in Africa):- The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) 20 declined by 0.77 points to close at 4,979.71 while Nairobi All Share Index went up by 0.55 points to close at 167.82. However, the market capitalization gained KES 7.57 billion (0.32%) to close at KES 2,347.46 billion.

The market breadth ended positive, with 23 gainers and 19 losers. On the one hand, the highest market gainer was East Africa Portland Cement gaining 9.26 percent to close at KES 59.00, followed by Eveready East Africa Limited 5.19 percent to end the day at KES 4.05. Likewise, Sameer Africa Limited and Uchumi Supermarket Limited appreciated by 4.85 percent (to close at KES 5.40) and 4.27 percent (to trade at KES 11.00) respectively.

On the other hand, the Pan Africa Insurance Holdings Limited was the top loser, declining by 22.80 percent to close the day at KES 96.50. Also, Kapchorua Tea Company Limited, Kenya went down by 7.20 percent to close at KES 116.00, Home Afrika Limited declined by 3.23 percent to settle at KES 3.00 as well as Olympia Capital Holdings plummeted by 3.00 percent with a closing price of KES 4.85.

Looking at market activities, the volume of shares traded declined by 10.23 percent to close at 35.68 million; total turnover on the other hand rose by 14.12 percent to close at KES 1,335.45 million. Kenya Commercial Bank was the largest mover of the day with a turnover of KES 558.98 million representing 41.86 percent of total market turnover. It is followed by Cooperative Bank Kenya and then East Africa Portland Cement with KES 330.80 million and KES 129.80 million respectively.  Meanwhile, the Cooperative Bank Kenya recorded the highest traded volume of 14.540 million accounting for nearly 42 percent of total traded volume.

On a final note, foreign investor buys stood at 75.82 percent of total turnover, while foreign investor sales stood at 55.22 percent of total turnover.