The NSE 20-Share Index closed firmer at 3,499.80, advancing 11.53 points (+0.33%) on the day, while the broader NASI was flat at 205.76 (-0.01). The NSE 25 added 3.05 points to 5,662.72 and the NSE 10 climbed 9.56 to 2,155.85. Beneath the headline gains, breadth was actually negative: 23 counters rose, 28 fell, and 6 closed unchanged out of 57 equities traded — a clear sign that index-heavy large caps did the lifting while the mid- and small-cap end of the tape leaked.
Turnover came in at KES 538.36 million across 8,757 deals, with 11.46 million shares changing hands. Market capitalisation eased marginally to KES 3.41 trillion.
Top gainers were led by Uchumi Supermarket (+3.66%), with BOC Kenya (+1.92%), Absa Bank Kenya (+1.78%) and CIC Insurance Group (+1.66%) rounding out the green column. On the losers side, Longhorn Publishers slid 6.67%, Standard Group dropped 3.85%, Express Kenya fell 3.67% and Flame Tree Group shed 3.27%.
Volume was dominated by the usual heavyweights. Equity Group Holdings traded 2.3 million shares, followed by NCBA Group (1.75M), Safaricom (1.13M) and Kenya Power & Lighting (881,613). The Banking Sector Index ticked up 0.45 to 234.50, consistent with bank-led flow doing the heavy lifting.
Year-to-date, the NSE 20 is up 11.49% and NASI up 10.28%, with the benchmark sitting roughly 7% below the 52-week high of 3,758.73 and 62% above the 52-week low of 2,161.38. Bottom line: a quiet, bank-supported grind higher on light turnover and soft breadth — not a conviction rally, but the trend remains constructive.