Ghana Stock Exchange begins year on positive note …GES composite, financial stock indices records favourable returns

The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) started the year on pos­itive note with an improved performance on the market.

Both the GSE composite and financial stock indices recorded favourable returns of 6.97 per cent and 3.97 per cent respectively.

The GSE Composite index rose to 5, 229.44 compared with the 3,172.43 in the same period last year, representing an increase of 64.84 per cent.

A statement on the summa­ry of the January 2025 market activities issued by the GSE in Accra yesterday and copied to the Ghanaian Times said, the increased confidence in the market resulted in a rise in the number of transactions to 7,593, marking a 2, 41.87 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

“Top gainers for the month included Ecobank Transnational Inc.(29.03 per cent), Cal Bank PLC (17.14 per cent), MTN Gha­na (10.00 per cent), Access Bank Ghana PLC (10.00 per cent ) and NEWGOLD (8.06 per cent).On the losing side was Republic Bank Ghana PLC (-9.09 per cent),” the statement revealed.

The GSE also stated the month ended with a trading volume of 16.11 million shares, amounting to GH¢108.60 million in value.

“These figures signify a 48.12 per cent decline in trading vol­ume, coupled with a substantial 210.93 per cent increase in the value traded compared to the corresponding period last year,” the GSE stated.

Total Market capitalisation in January 2025 stood at GH¢117, 170.63, relative to the GH¢74, 416.27, indicting an increase of 57.45 per cent in the market capi­talisation.

On the Fixed Income Market, the statement disclosed that, the total traded volume increased to16.89 billion, marking a sub­

 stantial 13.74 per cent rise com­pared to the 14.86 billion traded during the corresponding period last year.

It said Treasury Bills account­ed for 67.33 per cent of volume traded, whilst Government Bonds contributed 31.17 per cent with Corporate Bonds making up the

remaining 1.50 per cent.

Furthermore, the GSE noted that volume traded on the debt market for the month closed at GH¢16.89 billion, representing a 13.74 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, with the value of trade estimated at GH¢13.97 billion.

In the same period last year, the volume of trade record­ed were 14.86 billion valued at GH¢11. 41 billion.

The number of trades record­ed during the month stood at 50,058, reflecting a 14.33 per cent growth year-on-year,” the GSE stated.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE