The Nigerian equities market closed in negative territory as widespread profit-taking by investors weighed on stock prices, pulling the NGX All-Share Index (ASI) lower and erasing gains recorded in recent sessions.
At the close of trading, the ASI declined by 33 basis points, trimming the market’s year-to-date return to 6.14 per cent. Despite isolated gains, selling pressure dominated market activity as investors repositioned ahead of the release of several full-year 2025 corporate earnings reports.
Market performance showed mixed movements across individual stocks, with Deap Capital Management leading the gainers’ table after advancing 10.0 per cent, while RT Briscoe topped the losers’ chart, shedding 10.0 per cent during the session.
Trading activity remained robust, with Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals emerging as the most actively traded stock by volume, recording 58.13 million shares exchanged. In value terms, Zenith Bank led the market, with trades worth ₦2.3 billion.
Overall, 31 stocks posted gains, while 35 equities closed lower, reflecting a broadly negative market breadth. As a result of the selloff, investors’ wealth declined by approximately ₦352 billion.
Losses in stocks such as RT Briscoe, May & Baker, Ikeja Hotel, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank, eTranzact, and several others exerted significant downward pressure on the market. RT Briscoe fell by 9.97 per cent to close at ₦6.50, while May & Baker declined by 9.96 per cent to ₦32.25. Ikeja Hotel also lost 9.92 per cent, ending the session at ₦32.25 per share.
LivingTrust Mortgage Bank dropped by 9.90 per cent to ₦4.64, while eTranzact shed 9.16 per cent, closing at ₦17.35 per share.
On the upside, Union Homes Real Estate Investment Trust and Deap Capital Management led the gainers, each rising by 9.97 per cent to close at ₦94.85 and ₦9.49 respectively. Tantalizers gained 9.92 per cent to ₦3.88, while Skyway Aviation Handling Company advanced by 9.91 per cent to ₦128.60. Morison Industries rounded out the top performers with a 9.90 per cent increase to ₦9.99 per share.
Market activity data revealed a 29 per cent increase in trading volume, a two per cent rise in value traded, and a five per cent decline in the number of deals executed. In total, 623.2 million shares valued at ₦16.5 billion were traded across 42,172 transactions, compared with 483.09 million shares worth ₦17.4 billion exchanged in 41,499 deals in the previous session.
Sectoral indices closed largely in the red. The Banking Index declined by 44 basis points, pressured by losses in Fidelity Bank (-3.8%), UBA (-0.8%), and FCMB (-0.5%), despite modest gains in Zenith Bank, Access Holdings, and GTCO.
The Consumer Goods Index fell by 49 basis points, driven by declines in Honeywell Flour Mills, International Breweries, McNichols, and Champion Breweries. The Oil and Gas Index slipped marginally by four basis points, as losses in Oando outweighed gains recorded by Eterna.
Meanwhile, the Industrial Goods Index closed flat, with losses in Austin Laz and Cutix offset by strong gains in Tripple Gee & Company.
Overall, total market capitalisation declined by 0.33 per cent, closing at ₦105.736 trillion, down from ₦106.088 trillion at the opening of the session.
 lower and erasing gains recorded in recent sessions.){kind=link}