The heavy weight index, SEM-7 tumbled 3.89% or 15.29 pts and ended last week at 378.14 pts.

Return on the market index, SEMTRI lost 3.42% or Rs 150.22 to close at Rs 4, 240.86.

It was quite obvious that Mauritian stock trader might have become risk averse even though most Mauritian companies revealed a healthy financial status for 2008. This was probably due to the financial crisis that broke all headlines in America.

Last week, only three companies recorded price hike while 16 companies saw their shares ending on the weekly loser list. Innodis was the weekly topper with an increase in share price amounting 4.17% or 50 cents. The weekly worst loser was Naiade Resorts which saw its share price plunged by 9.91% or Rs 5.50.

The weekly sector evolution was as follows: Banking, Insurance & Other Finance (down 3.58% or Rs 2.388 bn ), Commerce ( down 4.58% or Rs 0.808 bn), Industry ( down 0.84% or Rs 0.044 bn), Investments ( down 6.69% or Rs 0.974 bn ), Leisure and Hotels ( down 4.43%% or Rs 1.574 bn), Sugar ( down 0.65% or Rs 0.0683 bn) and Transport (down 1.79% or Rs 0.0307 bn).

MDIT recorded the biggest volume with 441, 300 shares interchanged while MCB had the highest value traded (turnover) with Rs 47 million.

Evolution of share (Weekly)

Weekly Gainers: Innodis (4.17% or 50 cents), National Investment Trust (4.09% or 90 cents) and Caudan Development( 3.12% or 5cents).

Weekly Losers: Naiade Resorts ( 9.91% or Rs 5.50), Shell ( 7.41% or Rs 8.00), SBM ( 5.81% or Rs 4.50), Sun Resorts ( 5.41% or Rs 4.00), IBL ( 5.26% or Rs 3.00), PAD ( 5.26% or Rs 5.00), MDIT ( 4.76% or 25 cents ), Savannah ( 4.32% or Rs 8.00), United Basalt Products ( 4.26% or Rs2.00), Rogers ( 4.11% or Rs 15), NMH ( 2.92% or Rs 4.00), MCB ( 2.55% or Rs 4.00), Fincorp ( 1.32% or 40 cents), Air Mauritius ( 1.79% or 30 cents), MUA (1.72% or Rs 1.00) and MTMD ( 0.71% or 50 cents).

Remark: Cashing on investment or panic selling?

Though the financial status of Shell was quite remarkable in 2008; showing substantial growth, its share price fell last week. As a matter of sense, it is quite obvious that as Analysts believed that petrol prices will range close to $100, shareholders are not likely to witness similar progress as that achieved in 2008.

Though the financial condition of MCB and SBM are very promising but fear of a stock crisis similar to US might have surely provoked some shareholders to start cashing in on their investment. UBP which also showed growth have also witness shortfall in its share price.

10 Biggest volume Traded: MDIT (441, 300 shares or 23.96% of total volume), Caudan Dev ( 326, 500 shares or 17.72% of total volume), MCB ( 301, 511 shares or 16.53% or total volume ), Naiade Resorts ( 280, 600 shares or 15.23% of total volume), SBM ( 154, 910 shares or 8.41% or total volume), New Mauritius Hotel ( 117, 251 shares or 6.36% of total volume), MLC ( 44, 600 shares or 2.42% of total volume), Sun Resorts ( 42, 993 shares or 1.67% of total volume), British American Investment ( 30, 800 shares or 1.67% of total volume) and POLICY ( 25, 012 shares or 1.36% of total volume ).

10 Highest value traded ( Turnover): MCB (Rs 47.0 million or 48.02% of Market turnover), NMH( Rs 15.6 million or 15.94% of Market turnover), Naiade Resorts (Rs 14.2 million or 14.48% of Market turnover), SBM ( Rs 11.5 million or 11.73% of Market turnover), Sun Resorts ( Rs 3.0 million or 3.08% of Market turnover), MDIT (Rs 2.2 million or 2.26% of Market turnover ), MUA ( Rs 0.7 million or 0.75% of Market turnover ), PBL (Rs 0.7 million or 0.7% of Market turnover ), Caudan Dev(Rs 0.5 million or 0.55% of Market turnover) and Shell (Rs 0.4 million or 0.39% of Market turnover).