Lagos — Transaction reopened yesterday on a positive note, occasioned by heavy trading on the shares of some insurance stocks.Specifically, the insurance sub-sector accounted for 278.5 million units of shares, worth N170.3 million exchanged in 389 deals, representing 40 per cent of total market turnover for the day.

The banking sub-sector followed on the day's activity chart, with 180.5 million units, worth N1.3 billion, done in 3,194 deals, while other financial institutions sub-sector ranked third, with 116.6 million shares worth N92.2 million in 32 deals.Cornerstone Insurance Plc., buoyed activities in the insurance sub-sector with 243.7 million shares, worth N141.2 million in 18 deals, followed by Lasaco Assurance Plc., with 15.9 million units worth N10.2 million in 47 deals.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc., dominated activity in the banking sub-sector with 30.4 million shares valued at N451.8 million in 705 deals, while Access Bank Plc., followed with 23.2 million units valued at N155.9 million in 233 deals.

A reversal was however recorded on the equity price movement chart with the performance indicators closing on a positive note as well.

The all-share index which measures the performance of quoted companies rose marginally by 117.36 points or 0.5 per cent, from 21,349.18 on Friday to 21,466.54, while market capitalisation increased by N28 billion or 0.6 per cent, from N5.036 trillion to N5.064 trillion.

33 stocks recorded price appreciation, while 28 constituted the losers' table.

One of the petroleum marketing giants, Total Nigeria Plc., led others on the gainers' chart with N3 to close at N155.

Flourmill Plc., followed,adding 42k to close at N32.42k per share. First Bank of Nigeria Plc., Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), and UBN Plc., which were the last on the top five gainers' table added 40k, 38k, and 32k respectively.

On the other hand, Ashaka Cement topped the day's price losers' chart with 60k to close at N13 per share, while Benue Cement Company Plc., followed, shedding 50k to close at N42 per share.

Other losers in yesterdays transaction includes: African Petroleum Plc., with 48k loss to close at N33.1k, UACN Plc., 46k to close at N41.50k per share and RT Briscoe Plc., that slipped 35k to close at N6.80k per share. On the whole, investors bought 688.2 million shares worth N2.4 billion in 5,308 deals, as against the previous 589 million units of shares valued at N3.6 billion.