The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) concluded Friday’s trading session on a subdued note, as investors appeared cautious heading into the weekend, although select industrial stocks posted impressive gains, news.ng reports.
Available data show that trading volume declined by 3% to 624.06 million shares across 43,800 deals, representing a 1% drop from Thursday’s transaction count.
However, the value of trades climbed by 13% to NGN 18.52 billion, suggesting that larger-value transactions dominated the session. The exchange’s overall market capitalisation stood at NGN 103.8 trillion.
Three stocks hit the maximum daily gain limit of 10%, highlighting strong investor appetite in specific sectors.
Industrial & Medical Gases (IMG) led the gainers, surging 10% to close at NGN 35.20 from NGN 32.00 in the previous session. The stock has maintained momentum since the start of 2026, posting a 10% year-to-date gain and ranking 47th on the exchange. Over the past month, IMG has added 9% to its value, placing it 80th in four-week performance rankings.
SCOA Nigeria demonstrated even stronger year-to-date performance, closing at NGN 9.35 after matching IMG’s 10% daily gain from NGN 8.50. The diversified conglomerate has surged 31.7% since January 1, earning the 11th spot in the 2026 performance rankings.
McNichols Plc emerged as the standout performer in terms of year-to-date returns. Trading at NGN 5.50 following Friday’s 10% jump, the stock has skyrocketed 68.2% from its January 1 opening price of NGN 3.27, securing second place on the exchange’s 2026 leaderboard. Particularly notable is McNichols’ 105% surge over the past four weeks, the sixth-best monthly performance on the NGX.
On the decliners’ side, several stocks recorded sharp corrections approaching the 10% loss threshold.
Aluminium Extrusion Industries (ALEX) fell 9.9% to NGN 19.10, extending its year-to-date decline to 11.8%. Despite Friday’s setback, the stock has delivered a remarkable 167% return over the past month, the second-best four-week performance on the exchange.
Austin Laz & Company dropped 9.8% to NGN 4.13, bringing its modest year-to-date loss to 2.82%. Like ALEX, the company has shown strong recent momentum, posting a 100% gain over the past four weeks and ranking seventh in monthly performance.
Sovereign Trust Insurance rounded out the losers, declining 9.6% to NGN 3.38. The insurer has shed 11.5% year-to-date but posted a 9% gain over the past month.
Friday’s mixed performance reflects broader market tension between profit-taking after recent rallies and continued interest in select industrial and manufacturing stocks. The strong four-week returns recorded by both gainers and losers point to heightened volatility and active position-taking by investors.
Market participants will be watching for broader participation when trading resumes next week, particularly whether the 13% increase in trading value signals growing institutional interest despite lower overall volumes.
