The Kenyan equities market closed the session in negative territory, with all major indices posting marginal declines amid heightened trading activity.
The Nairobi All Share Index (NASI) and the NSE 20 Index both slipped by 0.1 per cent, while the NSE 10 and NSE 25 indices edged lower by 0.4 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively, reflecting broad-based weakness across select counters.
Despite the subdued market performance, equity turnover more than doubled, rising by 101.2 per cent to USD 9.5 million. Local investors continued to dominate trading, accounting for 80.8 per cent of total turnover, slightly down from 81.3 per cent recorded in the previous session.
Equity Group emerged as the most actively traded stock, contributing 57.1 per cent of the day’s turnover. However, the counter posted a 1.4 per cent decline to close at KES 68.00, making it the session’s worst-performing heavy mover. East African Breweries Limited (EABL) and NCBA Group also closed lower, shedding 1.3 per cent and 0.8 per cent to settle at KES 251.00 and KES 91.00, respectively.
Gains were recorded in select blue-chip stocks, with KCB Group rising by 0.8 per cent to KES 67.00, Safaricom gaining 0.2 per cent to close at KES 30.00, and Stanbic Holdings edging up by 0.1 per cent to KES 198.00. Notably, Safaricom hit a three-year high at KES 30.00 during the session.
On the broader market, Car and General topped the gainers’ list after rallying 5.6 per cent to KES 56.50. In contrast, Unga Group led the laggards, shedding 8.1 per cent to close at KES 22.05.
Foreign investors turned net buyers, recording net inflows of USD 328,700. DTB attracted the highest foreign buying interest, while Safaricom led foreign selling activity.
Looking ahead, market participants are awaiting the release of the January 2026 Stanbic Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), scheduled for tomorrow, which is expected to offer fresh insights into the health of the private sector and broader economic momentum.
