The Nigerian Stock Exchange just postponed the Index Circuit Breaker rule that was supposed to commence December 1 to a yet to be announced future date. The rule also called “Trading Halts Due To Extraordinary Market Volatility” will give the Exchange powers to halt trading activities in the event of a sharp drop (up to 5%) in the value of the All Share Index. A 5% and above drop in the value of the All Share Index is thus considered a major volatility issue and will result in a temporal halt of trading.
The rule is being put in place to protect investors of losing value of their investments especially in a sell off that arises out of market sentiments and other issues rather than fundamentals. Here is the press release
NOTICE OF DEFERRAL OF EFFECTIVE DATE OF “ARTICLE 170: TRADING HALTS DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY MARKET VOLATILITY (INDEX CIRCUIT BREAKER RULE)”
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, the effective date of Article 170 of the “Rules and Regulations Governing Dealing Members”, titled “Trading Halts Due to Extraordinary Market Volatility”, has been deferred. Article 170 will not become effective on 1 December 2014 as previously announced.
The Exchange will announce the effective date of Article 170 on a later date.
The text of the Rule is set out below:
Article 170: Trading Halts Due to Extraordinary Market Volatility (Index Circuit Breakers)
(a) The Exchange shall halt trading in all stocks and shall not reopen for the time period specified in this Rule if there is a Significant Market move in either direction.(b) For purposes of this Rule, a Significant Market move means a 5% move in price of the All Share Index between 10:15a.m. and 13:45p.m. on a trading day as compared to the closing price of the All Share Index for the immediately preceding trading day.
(c) Halts in Trading: if a Market move occurs after 10.15 a.m. and any time up to and including 13.45 p.m. the Exchange shall halt trading in all stocks for 30 minutes. The Exchange shall not halt trading if a Significant Market move occurs after 13.45 p.m. The Exchange shall halt and reopen trading based on a Significant Market move only once per trading day.
(d) If, following the reopening of trading after a Significant Market move halt, the All Share Index moves further by a minimum of 5% below its closing value on the immediately preceding trading day, during any trading day The Exchange will halt all trading for the remainder of the day. The last traded price in any security prior to the closing of the market shall be deemed the closing price in such security for the day.
(e) Re-opening of Trading: the re-opening of trading following a trading halt shall follow the procedures as may be set forth by The Exchange.
(f) Nothing in this Rule shall be construed to limit the ability of the Exchange to otherwise halt, suspend, or pause the trading in any stock or stocks traded on the Exchange pursuant to any other Exchange rule or policy.
