By Boluwatife Oshadiya | July 29 2026
Key Points
- NGX market capitalisation rose by ₦481.18 billion to ₦159.99 trillion
- Insurance and consumer goods stocks drove the market higher after bargain hunting
- THOMASWY led gainers, while MECURE posted the biggest loss
Main Story
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed higher on Tuesday as renewed investor interest in insurance and consumer goods stocks lifted the market after recent sell-offs, adding ₦481.18 billion to investors’ wealth.
The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) gained 745.81 points, or 0.30%, to close at 247,984.55, while total market capitalisation increased to ₦159.99 trillion, reflecting broad-based buying across several large and mid-cap stocks.
Market activity remained mixed. According to Atlass Portfolio Limited, trading volume rose by 6.11% to 676.92 million shares, although transaction value declined by 36.32% to ₦36.43 billion across 55,412 deals.
ACCESSCORP emerged as the most actively traded stock by volume, accounting for 12.98% of total shares exchanged. It was followed by FCMB, CHAMS, United Capital (UCAP) and ZENITHBANK. By value, HBM Nigeria Plc (HBMNG) dominated trading, contributing 18.77% of total market turnover.
On the gainers’ table, THOMASWY advanced 9.73%, ahead of IKEJAHOTEL (+9.53%), TIP (+9.52%), NEIMETH (+9.47%), FTNCOCOA (+8.72%) and OMATEK (+7.78%). Conversely, MECURE recorded the steepest decline, shedding 9.95%, followed by HMCALL (-9.86%), CMFC (-9.85%), TRANSEXPR (-9.68%), ACADEMY (-9.38%) and HONYFLOUR (-5.04%).
Overall market breadth remained positive, with 33 gainers compared with 20 losers.
Sectoral performance was largely upbeat. The Insurance Index led gains with 0.49%, followed by the Consumer Goods Index (+0.47%), Industrial Goods (+0.04%), and Oil & Gas (+0.03%). The Banking Index was the only sector to close lower, slipping 0.02%.
What’s Being Said
Analysts at Atlass Portfolio Limited said renewed bargain hunting in insurance stocks, alongside gains in consumer goods companies including Dangote Sugar, Guinness Nigeria, HBM Nigeria and Transcorp, helped support the market’s rebound after recent selling pressure.
What’s Next
- Investors are expected to monitor upcoming corporate earnings releases for fresh market direction.
- Trading sentiment will likely remain influenced by sector rotation into fundamentally strong stocks.
- Analysts will continue watching macroeconomic indicators, including inflation and interest rate expectations, for their impact on equity valuations.
The Bottom Line: Tuesday’s rebound suggests investors remain willing to accumulate fundamentally attractive stocks despite recent market volatility. Sustained gains, however, will depend on stronger corporate earnings and continued macroeconomic stability.
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