At today’s trading at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, we will be closely observing the following share counters:

• Athi River Mining – The CEO of Kenya’s second largest cement firm has emerged with an 18 percent stake in the company worth 3.5 billion shillings after a re-distribution of shareholding among the Paunrana family which owns 45 percent of the cement maker (Business Daily). The share was yesterday’s top gainer at the NSE, moving up 8.79 percent to close at KES 198 from KES 182 on Wednesday. It is possible that these new developments in the company could already be affecting the share judging by yesterday’s performance. We will observe the counter to see how it fairs in today’s trading.
• Equity Bank – At yesterday’s NSE trading, shares in one of Kenya’s biggest lenders gained for a subsequent day to close at their second highest price of this year on speculation that earnings for the first half of this year will increase, a Bloomberg news report says. The shares gained 1.15 percent to close at KES 22.00 from KES 21.75 on Wednesday. We will observe the counter today to see if it rallies further.
• Olympia Capital Holdings – The holding company’s CEO announced that Olympia Capital is seeking approval from shareholders to make investments in the construction sector of South Sudan according to a report in the Business Daily. We will observe the counter to see how the share performs at today’s trading in light of this new information. The share yesterday closed down 1.37 percent at KES 3.60 from KES 3.65 on Wednesday.
• Barclays Bank – Share in Kenya’s second ranked bank yesterday hit their highest price in just under one year gaining 1.09 percent to close at KES 13.90 from KES 13.75 on Wednesday, Bloomberg data showed. Two weeks ago, Barclays was the second bank to announce that it would reduce the interest on its loansfrom next month. Read more on that here. In today’s trading, we will watch this counter to see if it moves above yesterday’s high.