The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) experienced significant growth at the close of trading on Friday, pushing the total market capitalisation close to the ₦80 trillion mark, buoyed by investor gains amounting to ₦1.08 trillion.
Capping a strong week for Nigerian equities, the market continued its upward trajectory with the All-Share Index rising by 1,704.24 basis points, settling at a new peak of 126,151.04 points. This represents a 1.37% increase driven by growing investor optimism.
Analysts attribute the surge to renewed interest in well-valued blue-chip stocks, particularly in the financial and industrial sectors, where bargain-hunting activities were most pronounced.
Trading momentum remained positive, with overall trade volume and value increasing by 8.53% and 10.19%, respectively. According to Atlass Portfolio Limited, investors exchanged approximately 1.39 billion units of shares worth over ₦30.55 billion across 33,399 transactions.
Among the most active stocks in terms of volume were ACCESSCORP (12.52%), ELLAHLAKES (10.49%), JAPAULGOLD (10.05%), UBA (5.29%), and AIICO (4.39%). ACCESSCORP also topped the value charts, contributing 13.64% to the day’s total trade value.
Top gainers included CADBURY, CONHALLPL, NEM, and GUINNESS, each gaining 10%, followed closely by REDSTAREX (+9.98%), UBA (+9.97%), FTNCOCOA (+9.97%), ZENITHBANK (+9.94%), and HMCALL (+9.94%). In contrast, 25 stocks recorded losses, with LEARNAFRCA leading the decliners with an -8.66% drop.
TANTALIZER (-6.25%), REGALINS (-5.62%), OANDO (-4.61%), VERITASKAP (-5.20%), and LEGENDINT (-2.91%) also recorded notable losses.
The market breadth was widely positive, with 60 gainers outpacing 25 losers. Sector-wise, three of the five major indices ended in positive territory: banking (+5.61%), insurance (+3.78%), and industrial (+1.69%). The oil & gas and consumer goods sectors saw slight declines of -0.49% and -0.23%, respectively.
By the close of trading, the NGX’s total capitalisation stood at ₦79.80 trillion, a remarkable boost reflecting increased investor confidence.
