Equities on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed Monday’s trading session on a positive note as renewed buying interest across select stocks boosted market capitalisation by approximately ₦256 billion, reflecting improved investor confidence ahead of the fourth-quarter earnings season.
The benchmark NGX All-Share Index sustained its upward momentum, rising by 0.26 percent to close at 152,459.07 points, as bargain hunting persisted across key sectors of the market.
As a result of the day’s gains, total market capitalisation increased to ₦97.19 trillion, up from the previous session, driven largely by portfolio rebalancing activities as investors positioned ahead of year-end and early 2026 corporate earnings releases.
Market analysts attributed the positive close to strong demand for selected consumer, industrial, and financial stocks. BUACEMENT appreciated by 2.35 percent, while International Breweries rose by 4.17 percent. FIRSTHOLDCO also closed higher with a 2.34 percent gain, offsetting losses recorded in a handful of heavyweight stocks.
On the losing side, United Bank for Africa declined by 2.50 percent, while Custodian Investment fell by the maximum allowable 10 percent during the session.
Market breadth closed positive, with 34 stocks recording gains compared to 19 decliners, translating to a ratio of 1.7 to 1. ALEX led the gainers’ table with a 9.72 percent rise, while ABC Transport and Custodian Investment topped the losers’ chart after shedding 10 percent each.
Despite the positive price movement, trading activity slowed considerably. Total volume traded fell by 70 percent to 451.5 million shares, while transaction value declined by 40.3 percent to ₦13.0 billion.
Tantalizers led the market by volume, accounting for 50.2 million units or 11.1 percent of total shares traded. In value terms, Aradel Holdings dominated with trades worth ₦1.5 billion, representing 11.6 percent of the total value exchanged.
Sectoral performance closed mixed, with three of the six major indices ending in positive territory. The Industrial Goods Index rose by 0.91 percent, supported by gains in BUACEMENT, while the Consumer Goods Index advanced by 0.50 percent following price appreciation in International Breweries.
The Commodity Index edged up by 0.14 percent on the back of buying interest in Presco, which gained 1.40 percent. Conversely, selloffs in NEM Insurance and UBA weighed on the Insurance Index, which declined by 0.54 percent, and the Banking Index, which slipped by 0.04 percent. The Oil and Gas Index closed flat.
