Nigeria’s equities market began the week on a strong footing, with investor optimism lifting total market capitalisation by ₦1.87 trillion to ₦101.81 trillion, delivering significant gains to shareholders.
Trading data from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) showed that the market value climbed from ₦99.94 trillion at the start of the week to ₦101.81 trillion by the close of trading, reflecting renewed buying interest across several large-cap and mid-tier stocks.
The rally was largely fuelled by sustained demand for stocks including Cadbury Nigeria, Abbey Mortgage Bank, Fidson Healthcare, Champion Breweries, FTN Cocoa Processors, alongside more than 60 other equities.
In line with the positive momentum, the NGX All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 1.74 per cent, gaining 2,725.86 points to settle at 159,218.22, compared with 156,492.36 recorded in the previous session.
Market sentiment remained broadly positive, as 73 stocks closed higher, while only eight equities ended in the red, underscoring strong market breadth.
At the close of trading, Cadbury, Abbey Mortgage Bank, Fidson, Champion Breweries and FTN Cocoa Processors topped the gainers’ chart, each appreciating by 10 per cent to close at ₦64.90, ₦6.60, ₦60.50, ₦15.40 and ₦6.05 per share, respectively.
On the downside, Juli recorded the steepest decline, shedding 9.93 per cent to close at ₦7.26. Ikeja Hotel followed with a 9.91 per cent drop to ₦40.45, while Sunu Assurances declined by 4.55 per cent to ₦5.25 per share.
Other laggards included Sovereign Trust Insurance, which fell by 2.36 per cent to ₦3.72, and Berger Paints, which eased by 2.08 per cent to close at ₦47.
Trading activity showed mixed performance, as total volume exchanged jumped by 58.13 per cent to 695.64 million shares, while the value of transactions declined by 25.57 per cent to ₦18.57 billion, executed across 56,632 deals.
Tantalizer led activity by volume, with 71.75 million shares traded, representing 10.31 per cent of total market turnover. Meanwhile, Zenith Bank topped the value chart, accounting for ₦3.51 billion, or 18.89 per cent of total traded value.
Commenting on the milestone, Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director of Nigerian Exchange Group, described the market’s move past the ₦100 trillion mark as a major achievement for the capital market.
According to him, the development signals renewed investor confidence and highlights the market’s growing resilience, depth, and responsiveness to macroeconomic improvements and ongoing reforms.
Popoola also credited closer collaboration among regulators, policymakers, and market operators for enhancing transparency, liquidity, and investor protection in recent years.
Similarly, Jude Chiemeka, Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Ltd., noted that the rally reflected stronger participation and targeted buying across key sectors.
He added that rising volumes and broad-based gains across banking, industrial, and consumer stocks point to increasing confidence and a more active market at the beginning of the year.
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