The All-Share Index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday bowed to profit taking after two-day upward trend.

The index lost 33.59 per cent to close at 26,536.21 compared with 26,569.80 achieved on Thursday.

Also, the market capitalisation which opened at N12.823 trillion shed N18 billion to close at N12.807 trillion.

MTN dominated the laggards’ table with a loss of N2. 70 to close at N115.30 per share.

GlaxoSmithKline trailed with a loss of 55k to close at N5.25, while United Bank for Africa dipped 25k to close at N6.60 per share.

Oando was down by 18k to close at N3.62, while Caverton declined by 10k to close at N2.45 per share.

On the other hand, Presco led the gainers’ table, appreciating N2.05 to close at N43.50 per share.

Dangote Sugar followed with a gain of 55k to close at N16.55, while Lafarge Africa garnered 45k to close at N13.95 per share.

Ecobank Transnational added 35k to close at N6.90, while PZ Cussons increased by 25k to close at N5.25 per share.

The banking stocks led the activity chart with United of Africa emerging the most traded with 42.59 million shares worth N285.18 million.

Zenith Bank followed with an account of 13.74 million shares valued at N256.94 million, while Union Dicon traded 11.84 million shares worth N2.60 million.

FBN Holdings sold 8.52 million shares valued at N55.36 million, while Access Bank accounted for 8.48 million shares worth N79.57 million.

In all, investors traded 155.35 million shares valued at N1.43 billion in 2,773 deals, indicating a decrease of 51.41 per cent.

This was against a turnover of 319.69 million shares worth N3.07 billion exchanged in 2,502 deals on Thursday. (NAN)