[2008-02-20]  Stocks End Trading With Marginal Gain
Stocks traded mixed yesterday but ended trades with a marginal gain of 3,46 percent on the back of gains in TA Holdings and second tier counters.

The industrial index put on 96 819 644,88 points to 2 790 473 067,35 points on reports that the window for money market trading closed late on yesterday. The minings index shed 2,51 percent to 2 517 729 908,85 points after weak trades in Falgold and RioZim. Gulliver topped the movers' table after it rose $950 000 or 112 percent to $1,8 million. The engineering company will soon be joined on the bourse by Zeco Holdings.

Afdis, which has upcoming financials, put on $1 million or 66 percent to $2,5 million. Heavyweight Delta was steady at $3 million, as was Innscor at $5,1 million. Old Mutual, which had run as a result of the firming US dollar, was also unchanged at $25 million. KMAL pared $1 million to $14 million while TA Holdings picked $1,5 million to $10 million taking its market value to $1 618 trillion. NMB shed $10 000 to $150 000 on reports that the bank is being courted by an unnamed American investor on a possible US$3 million capital injection.

Barclays was up $100 000 to $600 000 after yesterday's special bargain of 9,2 million shares. PPC was steady at $45 million and Lafarge was buyers only at $25 million. The NIPC is investigating cases of retailers selling cement at $165 million, almost double the stipulated price of $88 mil- lion.

The commission, however, had given retailers leeway to increase the price after taking into account transport and handling costs. Dairibord, which recorded a decline in milk production in 2007, gained $300 000 to $1,5 million CFI, which will have a 5 for 1 share consolidation was $195 000 ahead at $525 000.

CAPS, which added two more ARV dossiers, was buyers only at $190 000. Zimsun, which will soon change its name to African Sun, was down $50 000 to $1,35 million.
Source: Copyright © 2008 The Herald.