LuSE Opens Week Flat as Cement and Banking Stocks Dominate Trades

LUSAKA, Zambia

The Lusaka Securities Exchange (LuSE) began the week on a steady note, with the market closing yesterday’s session unchanged as the LuSE All Share Index (LASI) held firm at 25,158.10 points.

A total of 442 trades were recorded, involving 58,026 shares and generating a turnover of K1,877,571.72. Despite the broad activity across key sectors, no price changes were recorded on any of the Kwacha-denominated securities.

Trading activity was concentrated in heavily watched counters including CEC Africa (CECZ), Chilanga Cement (CHIL), Airtel Networks (ATEL), ZANACO (ZNCO), PUMA, and Standard Chartered Bank (SCBL).
Chilanga Cement led the market in value traded, posting transactions worth K1.62 million, underscoring sustained institutional demand for the cement producer.

CEC Africa remained the most traded stock by number of deals, recording 99 trades and over 5,000 shares exchanged at a stable price of K20.02, supported by solid liquidity on both the bid and ask sides.

Banking counters also posted strong participation. ZNCO saw more than 8,300 shares traded, while SCBL contributed 7,550 shares to the day’s volume, reflecting continued confidence in the sector’s fundamentals.

On the dollar-denominated board, the REIZUSD real estate investment trust (REIT) recorded 5 trades worth $586.08, closing unchanged at $0.09.

Total market capitalization stood at K326.34 billion, including Shoprite Holdings, and K136.27 billion excluding Shoprite.
Market analysts say the flat price performance points to a cautious start to the trading week as investors await additional economic signals while maintaining interest in the market’s most liquid counters