Nairobi, Feb. 1 -- Investors at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) gained 4.7 percent or Sh138.5 billion in January, maintaining the momentum that saw investor wealth expand by a record Sh1 trillion or 51.8 percent last year.

Market capitalisation, the measure of investor wealth, stood at Sh3.083 trillion at close of trading on Friday, compared to Sh2.945 trillion at the beginning of the year.

Double-digit gains on the stocks of Safaricom, Co-operative Bank of Kenya, Absa Bank Kenya and NCBA Group, which collectively added Sh100.8 billion in market value, drove the Nairobi bourse.

Last year's record gains rode on the back of increased demand for equities as returns from other assets such as government securities declined in line wit...