By Boluwatife Oshadiya | September 4, 2026
Key Points
- Seplat Energy leads gainers as the NGX All-Share Index rises 0.15% to 246,388.22 points
- Market capitalisation increases by ₦238.37 billion to ₦159.15 trillion as trading value and volume climb
- Oil & Gas gains 2.22%, while Insurance, Banking, Consumer Goods and Industrial Goods sectors decline
Main Story
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed higher on Thursday as buying interest in Seplat Energy, Dangote Sugar Refinery and FCMB lifted the All-Share Index by 0.15%. The NGX All-Share Index gained 369.05 points to close at 246,388.22, while market capitalisation rose by ₦238.37 billion to ₦159.15 trillion, according to market data.
Trading activity also strengthened during the session, with total volume and value traded increasing by 1.68% and 3.03%, respectively. Investors exchanged 434.02 million shares valued at ₦29.30 billion across 42,303 deals.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) dominated trading volume, accounting for 26.14% of total units traded. GTCO followed with 7.91%, Access Holdings with 5.74%, Sovereign Insurance with 4.90% and WAPIC Insurance with 4.75%.
UBA also led the value chart, accounting for 17.87% of the total value traded on the exchange.
Seplat Energy led the gainers, rising 10.00%, followed by Learn Africa with 9.49%, Regal Insurance with 4.76%, Jaiz Bank with 4.22%, WAPIC with 4.18% and UPDC with 2.82%.
However, 33 stocks declined, led by RT Briscoe, which fell 10.00%. Consolidated Hallmark Insurance declined 9.86%, while Sovereign Insurance, Abbey Mortgage Bank, Daar Communications and Nascon Allied Industries also recorded losses.
The market therefore closed with negative breadth, with 21 gainers against 33 losers.
Sector performance was similarly mixed. The Oil & Gas sector gained 2.22%, while Insurance declined 2.00%, Banking fell 0.27%, Consumer Goods dropped 0.18% and Industrial Goods slipped 0.001%.
What’s Being Said
The trading session reflected renewed bargain hunting in selected mid-cap and blue-chip stocks, while the strong performance of Seplat Energy drove the day’s gains.
Market data showed that Seplat Energy was the strongest-performing stock, gaining the maximum 10.00% during the session.
What’s Next
Investors will continue to monitor sector rotation and the performance of major blue-chip counters in subsequent trading sessions.
Market participants will also watch whether the positive momentum in Oil & Gas stocks can offset weakness across the Insurance, Banking and Consumer Goods sectors.
Bottom Line
The Bottom Line: The NGX’s gain was narrow rather than broad-based, with strong performances in selected stocks offset by declines across most major sectors. The session therefore points to selective investor demand rather than a broad market rally.
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