WEEK 2 HIGHER DESPITE LOW TRADE FRIDAY AT NAIROBI SE

Week 2 in 2018 closed today Friday January 12 at the Nairobi Securities Exchange with trading indicators up on week 1 despite low trade today.

Traded volume and traded value had dropped 43.5% to 12.2m shares and 37.9% to Ksh 375m respectively today but for the whole week, it came to 113m shares worth Ksh 3.2bn compared to 62m shares worth Ksh 1.8bn previously.

Despite the day's dive in trading too, investor interest remained high as number of deals struck rose by 11.8% to 1180 from 1055 on Thursday.

However, 1.90 points rise in the All share index on Friday made the week's ASI to end 1.90 points or 1.09% higher than last week's closing 174.17.

There were 16 gainers for the week and 31 price drops more or less the Friday grain with 20 price gainers and 18 losers 

Top 3 % gainers for the week were from the commercial and services sector with the sector too accounting for top 2 drops in price.

Standard Group PLC closed Friday at Ksh 35.25 per share, up 14.63% on Ksh 30.75 per share last Friday followed by Kenya Airways up 10.9% to Ksh 17.30 from Ksh 15.6 per share and Nairobi Business Ventures with 6.45% gain per share as it closed today at Ksh 3.30 as against Ksh 3.10 in week 1.

On the other hand, the three % price drops were witnessed by TPS Eastern Africa, down 10.45% to Ksh 30 per share from Ksh 30.75; Deacons ltd with 10% decline to Ksh 3.15 from Ksh 3.50 per share both of the Commercial sector and Eaagad ltd in the Agricultural sector lost 10% too dropping to Ksh 22.50 from Ksh 25 per share.

The most traded equities within the week were Safaricom with deals for 54.259m shares even though its traded volume had dropped to 2.79m today Friday.

It was trailed from a distance by ARM Cement in which 12.69m shares changed hands within the week with today accounting for only 32,100 units 

Unlike Kenya Re which recorded the 3rd highest traded volume of 9.107m for the week out of which 2.12m changed hands during today's trading.

Of the 20 gainers today, that of Jubilee Holdings was the top league as it hit day high of Ksh 500 then slipped slightly to close at Ksh 499 per share. However, this was still up Ksh 19 per share on last Friday's Ksh 480 per share close.

On the other hand, Kakuzi ltd in the agricultural sector did not record such dramatic price change as it just closed firm at Ksh 350 through the day but this was down Ksh 9.00 per share on Thursday's closing Ksh 359 per share.

The story was almost the same too for Kenya Orchards which lost Ksh 7 per share as it eased to and closed the day Ksh 90 per share as against Ksh 97 the previous day.

Some other major price changes were Ksh 4 per share decline by Kapchorua Tea; Ksh 4 per share gain by I & M Holdings and TPS Eastern's Ksh 2.25 per share top up.

Monday was the most active day for the bond market within the week but week 2 final traded value figures at Ksh 9.709bn in 188 deals almost dwarfed week 1's Ksh 4.57bn in 121 deals.

Safaricom was no doubt, very much instrumental to the Friday rally by the All shares index as it gained Ksh 0.50 per share to close the week at Ksh 28.25 per share.

This price, though, was short of the all time high of Ksh 28.50 per share it touched at a point within the trading week.