At today’s NSE trading, the NSE 20-Share Index closed up 0.11 percent at 3,844.61 points up from 3,840.36 points last week while the NSE All-Share Index closed up 0.37 percent gaining 0.31 points to close at 83.85 points from 83.54 points at the close of trading last week.

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HIGHEST VOLUMES

Kenya Airways was today’s most actively traded share with 2.12 million shares moving across the counter while second was Cooperative Bank of Kenya with 1.79 million shares traded. Third was Safaricom with 1.62 million shares from 2.55 million shares traded on Friday last week while the fourth most traded share was Mumias Sugar with 626,200 shares down from 818,700 shares last week. The fifth most traded share was with Kenya Commercial Bank with 494,200 shares traded today.

COUNTER WATCHLIST

• KenolKobil – Shares in the petroleum marketer gained for fifth third day today, closing up 1.25 percent at KES 16.15 up from KES 15.95 on Friday. Puma Energy, a Swiss-based oil company, has entered into an exclusive agreement with the shareholders of KenolKobil to buy a majority stake in the company that is rumored will offer a higher-than-market price per share. Speculation on this takeover deal drove the share to a 5-year high of KES 16.40 earlier this month.
• Mumias Sugar Company – Shares in Kenya’s biggest sugar manufacturer gained for a second day at the NSE closing up 2.26 percent to KES 6.80 from KES 6.65 last week. It emerged in reports today that the company is looking to secure loans worth 15 billion shillings to finance a Tana River sugar project projected to produce 200,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually that will help reduce Kenya’s sugar production deficit (Business Daily).
• AccessKenya Group – On the day it was reported in the Business Daily  that the internet service company has opened new offices in Kisumu, AccessKenya shares gained 1.06 percent to close at KES 4.75 from KES 4.70 on Friday last week. The share went through a downward trend last week, losing on four out of the five days of trading.