NIGERIA, Dec. 2 -- By the close of trading, the All Share Index had fallen to 143,210.33 points, reflecting a decline of 0.22 percent. The dip also pulled the year's overall return down to 39.14 percent, while market capitalization settled at 91.09 trillion naira.

The News Chronicle learned that the downtrend was fuelled by renewed sell pressure in key consumer stocks, particularly International Breweries, Dangote Sugar, and Wapco. Their slide outweighed the mild gains posted by United Bank for Africa, Champion Breweries, and AIICO Insurance.

Market activity also slowed significantly, as both trading volume and value moderated compared to the previous session.

Cornerstone Insurance stood out as the most actively traded stock, exchangin...