The NSE20 eked out a 3.26 points gain to close at 3842.38. The Nairobi All Share shaved off 0.04 points to close at 83.91.

Equity Turnover picked up speed and totalled 269.889m versus 188.63m last time. BAT closed at 409 which is a fresh all time closing high. BAT is 95.078% in 2012. Pan Africa surged 11.43% after Monday's release of its H1 earnings. Pan Africa is +120.66% in 2012 and is the bull outlier at the securities exchange in 2012.

In Commercial and Services

Safaricom traded 3rd and edged 1.28% lower to close at 3.85 with 8.102m shares worth 31.536m changing hands. Safaricom was trading at session highs of 3.95 +1.28% at the closing bell. Nation Media traded 5th at the exchange and fell 5.85% [off an All time closing high from Monday ] to close at 193.00. TPS Serena traded 204,900 shares at 40.00 and unchanged.

TPS Serena reported a 35.1% deceleration in H1 2012 PAT and cited various challenges in Kenya and Zanzibar and a weak Europe as having impacted their numbers. The recent events in Mombasa are not going to be helpful. Uchumi eased 0.974% to close at 15.25 and traded 27,000 shares. Uchumi is +98.05% in 2012 and has been deposed from being the top performer at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in 2012. It now ranks 2nd after Pan Africa.

Among Banks

Kenya Commercial Bank closed unchanged at 25.50 but its weighted average was 25.70 and signalling a break higher. Barclays Bank traded 2nd at the bourse and rallied 2.491% to close at 14.40 and traded 2.274m shares worth 32.808m. Barclays Bank has closed at a 1 year closing high and this level was previously struck on July 25th.

Pan Africa Insurance Holding was the biggest gainer at the securities exchange the day after releasing H1 2012 earnings where profit before tax increased +131.33% to 220.476m, profit after tax increased +199.203% to 218.335m and earnings per share snapped 198.68% higher. CIC Insurance fell 4.819% to close at 3.95 and traded 1.935m shares. CIC Insurance has traded a 3.85-7.00 range since it was introduced via a listing. Its now just 2.5974% above its all time low. Co-op Bank rallied 2.262% to close at 11.30 while StanChart firmed 0.5% to close at 201.00.

In Industrial and Allied

BAT was the most actively traded share at the securities exchange and rallied 4.608% to close at 409.00 which is a fresh all time closing high. BAT traded 152,200 shares worth 62.372m. BAT has struck a succession of all time closing highs through 2012 and is +95.078% on a total return basis so far in 2012. BAT accelerated FY 2011 PAT 75.32% and then kicked on with an H1 2012 PAT acceleration of 20.6%. BAT trades on a trailing PE ratio of 13.2343. Kenya Power was 1.115% up to close at 17.45 while KenGen eased 0.5988% to close at 8.30. EABL eased 0.896% to close at 221.00.