If you’ve been watching the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) this year, August gave investors even more reason to smile. The market recorded another round of gains, with 10 companies seeing their share prices climb and the overall market now sitting close to a 50% return since January.
That’s huge — especially compared to many other markets around the world. Let’s break down what happened.
The Biggest Winners in August
Some companies really stood out in August:
- Cocoa Processing Company PLC stole the show with a 50% jump in its share price.
- Intravenous Infusions PLC followed with 25% growth.
- Trust Bank Gambia PLC and Clydestone Ghana both gained 10% each.
- Telecom giant MTN Ghana (Scancom PLC) was up 9%, while NewGold ETF gained 8.16%.
- Others like Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), GCB Bank, Republic Bank, and Ecobank Ghana all closed August in the green.
For investors, this means that if you had invested in any of these stocks earlier in the year, you’re probably seeing some exciting returns right now.
How the Market Performed Overall
The GSE Composite Index (which tracks most of the listed stocks) rose by 4.84% in August, closing at 7,330.37 points. This pushed its year-to-date return to nearly 50% — an impressive performance by any standard.
The GSE Financial Stock Index, which focuses mainly on banks and financial institutions, had a small dip of 0.44%. But here’s the good news: even with that drop, it’s still up 43.31% so far in 2025.
The Stock Losers
Of course, stock markets aren’t all winners. A few companies ended August with losses:
- Ecobank Transnational: –6.10%
- Cal Bank: –5.56%
- Unilever Ghana: –0.44%
- Access Bank Ghana: –0.12%
These declines remind us that investing always comes with risks, and not every stock goes up at the same time.
The Bond & Debt Market Was Busy Too
It wasn’t just stocks making moves. The fixed income market (that’s bonds, treasury bills, and similar investments) also had a strong August.
- Trading volume hit 23.92 billion securities, up 11.67% from July.
- Treasury bills made up the largest share of activity at 46%, followed by government bonds and notes at 37%.
- Corporate bonds and Bank of Ghana bills made up the rest.
This shows investors are also actively putting money into “safer” investments alongside stocks.
Stock Trading Volume
Here’s an interesting twist: even though prices went up, the number of shares traded actually fell sharply compared to July.
- 45.9 million shares, worth GH¢203.63 million, were traded in August.
- That’s 87% fewer shares and 88% less in value compared to July.
But don’t panic — compared to the same period last year, trading activity is still stronger. In fact, the number of shares traded more than doubled year-on-year, and the value traded went up by about 16%.
What It Means for You
The message is clear: Ghana’s stock market is having a remarkable year.
- If you’re already invested, you may be seeing great returns.
- If you’re new, this is a sign of how powerful long-term investing can be.
- But don’t forget — some stocks still lost value in August, so it’s important to diversify and not put all your money into one company.
Overall, the GSE is proving to be one of the most exciting markets in Africa right now.
