Trading on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Thursday saw a further slide as investors continued profit-taking, causing key market indicators, the All-Share Index and market capitalisation to fall by 0.07 per cent each.

The ASI was down by 26.55 basis points or 0.07 per cent to close at 34,400.57 points as against 34.427.12 points recorded on Wednesday, while market capitalisation closed at N11.682tn, down from N11.691tn recorded the previous day.

The loss in the market was attributed to losses recorded by blue-chip companies such as Guinness Nigeria, Nestle and Dangote Cement, which shed 4.99 per cent, 3.82 per cent and 0.86 per cent, respectively.

At the close of trading on Thursday, a total of 330.667 million shares valued at N3.750bn changed hands in 5,238 deals, compared to 473.565 million shares worth N3.451bn in 5,109 deals recorded on Wednesday.

The financial services sector accounted for a total of 260.715 million shares valued at N2.170bn in 3,235 deals as against 265.190 million shares valued at N1.920bn in 2,996 deals recorded the previous trading day.

However, in the banking sub-sector, investors bought and sold a total of 207.209 million share valued at N1.840bn in 2,457 deals as against 210.808 million share valued at N1.710bn recorded on Wednesday.

Seplat Petroleum Development Company led 23 others on the gainers’ table as it appreciated by 800 kobo to close at N387.00 per share, followed by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated which gained 227 kobo to close at N24.55 per share. Chemical and Allied Products was up by 187 kobo to close at N39.31 per share, Lafarge Cement WAPCO added 150 kobo to close at N96.00 per share, while Nigerian Breweries increased by 100 kobo to close at N154.00 per share, among others.

On the flip side, Nestle Nigeria led the decliners’ table as it lost N35.75 to close at N900.00 per share; Guinness Nigeria went down by 844 kobo to close at N160.56 per share, while Dangote Cement slipped by 155 kobo to close at N178.00 per share, among others.