The Nairobi Securities Exchange marked a cautious yet positive session on July 22, 2025, as benchmark indices edged higher despite reduced trading activity. The NSE All-Share Index (NASI) closed at 158.63, registering a modest gain of 0.70 points (0.44%) and extending its year-to-date growth to approximately 28.5%.
Other key indices also recorded marginal increases: the NSE 20 Share Index advanced 6.65 points to 2,507.43 (+0.27%) and the broader NSE 25 index rose 18.30 points to 4,056.82 (+0.45%).
Despite the gains, market liquidity contracted. A total of 10.09 million shares changed hands across 1,837 deals, reflecting a sharp 22% drop in volume and a 50% plunge in equity turnover compared to the previous session.
The total value of trades slowed to KSh 283 million.Experts suggest the thinner activity may be a result of cautious investor behavior ahead of potential global monetary policy shifts and local macroeconomic cues.
The session saw 21 stocks posting gains, while 23 recorded losses, highlighting mixed sentiment. Among the top performers were Eaagads (up 3.9%), Longhorn Publishers (+2.8%), East African Portland Cement (+2.7%), and Williamson Tea (+1.9%).
On the flip side, Eveready East Africa led the decliners with a 6.5% drop, followed by Sanlam Kenya (–4.9%), TPS Eastern Africa Serena (–4.7%), and Standard Group (–4.6%).
Institutional and retail investors showed varying levels of interest. KCB Group attracted the highest volume with 4.06 million shares traded, bankers noted, while Safaricom moved 1.02 million units.
Kenya Re and KenGen also featured prominently with 1.10 million and 0.71 million respectively, illustrating a sustained appetite for blue-chip counters.
Looking back at the broader market context, NSE has seen a significant rebound in investor wealth, adding around KSh 477 billion in the first half of 2025 alone.
That performance contributed to a cumulative KSh 1 trillion increase over the past 18 months, driven largely by robust gains in energy, investment, and insurance sectors.
With July underway, investors will closely monitor the market for signs of renewed momentum, especially in light of new regulations such as fractional share trading and potential adjustments in foreign investment limits.
However, today’s stable index performance amid lower volumes suggests a market in consolidation, waiting for fresh catalysts whether corporate earnings releases, macroeconomic data, or policy developments to spark the next leg of growth.
Overall, the NSE remains on a constructive path, registering steady index gains with select stocks maintaining upward momentum even as volumes ease. The mixed sentiment underscores both resilience and caution among market participants on July 22, 2025.
Written By Ian Maleve
