Stocks: Experts recommend banks, conglomerates, others

Following the bullish trend witnessed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange last week, stockbrokers have tasked discerning investors to channel their funds to some banks, the conglomerates and consumer goods outfits.
The Managing Director, APT Securities and Funds Limited, Mallam Garba Kurfi, said, “I foresee a bullish stock market in 2018 in response to sustained favourable crude oil price in the wake of extension of output cut agreement by Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
“Investors must keep track of the most viable stocks in the sectors mentioned above. In recent time, you can see that the banking stock, the conglomerates and the consumer goods have done well.
“Investors should always monitor the activities and movement of their stock trading; apart from the blue-chip companies, the banks, conglomerates and the consumer goods are always the toast of investors.”
The Head, Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Dr. Uche Uwaleke, said further improvement in the ease of doing business and further moderation in inflationary pressure would impact positively on market performance in 2018.
Meanwhile, a total turnover of 5.021 billion shares, worth N68.974 billion were traded last week in 41,542 deals by  investors  on  the  floor of the NSE,  in  contrast to  a  total  of 2.417 billion shares, valued at N18.813 billion, that exchanged hands last week in 20,874 deals.
The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 3.417billion shares valued  at N31.649 billion  traded  in 24,375 deals;  thus  contributing 68.06 per cent and45.89 per cent  to  the total equity  turnover  volume  and  value,  respectively.
The Conglomerates Industry followed with 894.357 million shares worth N2.180 billion in 3,032 deals. The third place was occupied by Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 380.493 million shares worth N26.243billion in 7,408 deals.
Trading in the Top Three Equities namely–Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and FBN Holdings Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 1.975 billion shares worth N7.473 billion in 8,549 deals, contributing 39.33 per cent and 10.83 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.
The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 10.21 per cent and 10.95 per cent, to close the week at 42,898.90 and N15.368 trillion respectively. Similarly, all other indices finished higher during the week with the exception of the NSE ASeM Index that
closed flat.