Here is the latest value of the PesaPortfolio based on share prices at the end of trading last week on Friday 17^th August 2012. Read our summary of that day’s trading here

Read more on the PesaPortfolio here.

[caption id="attachment_17231" align="aligncenter" width="788"] The PesaPortfolio based on share prices at the close of trading on Friday 17th August 2012[/caption]

Since we last updated the PesaPortfolio at the end of trading on Thursday 9^th August, it has lost KES 52.5 to stand at a total value of KES 93,435.00 from KES 93,487.50 at the last update.

If we were to sell the entire portfolio, we would take home KES 91,258.69 compared to KES 91,309.96 on August 9^th when we last updated the portfolio (transaction costs subtracted).

Losses to the portfolio were made through the following counters:

• Mumias Sugar  – Since our last update one and a half weeks ago, the share has gradually slid from its high of KES 7.00, gaining only once on Thursday last week and then resuming a decline until Friday’s closing price of KES 6.80. This price was 15 cents lower than the share’s price at our last update and lost our portfolio a total KES 202.50.

• NIC Bank – During the 3 days after our last update, the shares rallied to peak at KES 35.75 on Tuesday last week before declining steadily to last week’s close of KES 33.50. This was not good news for us as we bought the shares at the year’s highest price of KES 36.75. With the NIC Rights Issue set to begin next Monday, we will hold on to our shares to reap full benefit of the additional discount shares. Stay with Pesatalk for a special PesaPortfolio feature on the NIC Rights Issue. The counter lost our portfolio a total of KES 150 since the last update.

• British–American Investments –  In the days since our last update to Thursday last week, shares in the financial services group lost 30 cents to KES 5.60 before gaining 5 cents on Friday to close the week at KES 5.65 per share. The share looks to have ran out of steam after rallying to the year’s highest of KES 6.00 early this month following the company posting a billion shilling profit from prior losses. Read more on this here. Friday’s closing price is the same price we bought them at and we will hold on to them for now as we believe the company has good future outlook and undervalued shares. The shares lost our portfolio KES 375 since our last update.

The following shares added to the value of our portfolio:

• Rea Vipingo – From our last update the share gained for 4 consecutive days to KES 17 per share before losing 20 cents on Thursday last week which was regained on Friday to close the share are KES 17.00. This represented a 50 cent gain on the share since our last update which added a total KES 400 to our portfolio.

• Housing Finance – Shares in Kenya’s largest mortgage lender went through an irregular but overall upward trend since our last update. By Friday’s close, they had gained a total 25 cents since the last update to add a total KES 275 to our portfolio.  Since April these shares have shown improved performance to trade above KES 14 per share for the most part compared to a range below this price in the first quarter of the year. We will hold on to these shares as they are for now.

Crown Berger shares gained in the period since our last update to top at KES 35 per share on Tuesday last week but dropped back to close last week at the same price since our last update at KES 34.75. The shares have proven to be a good buy, trading well above their buying price of KES 26 per share to between KES 30 and KES 35 over the past two and a half months. We will retain our Crown Berger shares for now.

 {The PesaPortfolio is a simulation of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and is intended for investor education and entertainment only. It does not constitute investor advice and we do not trade on behalf of our readers}