The Nigerian equities market sustained its positive momentum during Thursday’s trading session, with key indicators closing higher on the back of renewed investor interest in mid- and large-cap stocks.
The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 0.13% to settle at 160,806.56 points, reflecting modest but steady gains across select sectors. Correspondingly, total market capitalisation increased by ₦137.35 billion to ₦102.82 trillion, according to data from the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
Market operators attributed the upward movement largely to buying interest in selected consumer goods, industrial, and commodity-linked stocks.
Leading gainers during the session included PRESCO, which climbed 6.17%, CHAMPION Breweries, up 3.34%, DANGSUGAR with a 1.56% advance, UBA gaining 0.91%, and WAPCO, which added 0.68%.
Despite the broadly positive sentiment, the session also witnessed profit-taking in several banking stocks. FCMB led decliners with a 4.27% drop, followed by Wema Bank, down 3.72%, FIRSTHOLDCO, which lost 2.08%, and ACCESSCORP, which slipped 1.31%.
Trading activity remained robust, with total turnover valued at ₦16.44 billion. A total of 645.06 million shares were exchanged across 44,410 deals, pointing to sustained liquidity and continued investor participation in the market.
The ASI’s month-to-date performance improved to a gain of 3.34%, while year-to-date returns also strengthened, underscoring growing investor confidence and the market’s resilience amid ongoing macroeconomic challenges.
On the volume chart, CHAMS Plc led activity with 60.46 million shares traded, followed by LINKASSURE with 54.11 million shares, TANTALIZER at 44.96 million shares, and ACCESSCORP, which recorded 35.52 million shares.
In terms of value, ZENITHBANK topped the chart with transactions worth ₦1.50 billion. SEPLAT followed closely with ₦1.20 billion, while UNILEVER posted ₦1.19 billion in trades and GTCO recorded ₦1.01 billion.
Sectoral performance closed mixed. The Commodity Index led gainers with a 0.65% increase, followed by the Consumer Goods Index, which rose 0.55%, while the Industrial Index edged up by 0.11%.
Conversely, the Insurance Index posted the steepest decline, shedding 3.07%. The Banking Index slipped by 0.40%, while the Oil and Gas Index dipped marginally by 0.11%.
Anchoria Securities Limited noted that the market could sustain its recent upward trajectory, supported by renewed investor interest. However, analysts cautioned that intermittent profit-taking remains likely following the market’s recent gains.
