Nigerian equities investors recorded significant gains of N341 billion as the stock market opened the week on a bullish note, with the NGX All-Share Index advancing 0.43 percent to close at 126,689.54 basis points.
The positive market performance pushed year-to-date returns to 23.09 percent, reflecting sustained investor confidence and optimistic market sentiment across key sectors. Market capitalization rose to N80.14 trillion, indicating improved liquidity and heightened buying interest among institutional and retail investors.
Leading gainers included BUA Cement, Transcorp, and Dangote Cement, driving sectoral improvements across Industrial Goods, Banking, Commodities, and Oil & Gas sectors. Market breadth remained positive with 45 advancing stocks outpacing 36 declining issues, reinforcing the overall bullish market tone.
Trading activity showed significant improvement across all metrics, with deal numbers increasing 18.06 percent and trade values rising 5.41 percent. Total traded volume jumped 7.39 percent to 1.29 billion shares worth N32.2 billion across 39,431 transactions, highlighting robust market participation.
Access Holdings emerged as the most traded stock by volume at 138.03 million units, while Seplat Energy led by value with N5.38 billion in transactions. The strong performance across blue-chip stocks indicates renewed investor interest in fundamentally strong companies.
The Industrial Goods sector’s strong performance reflects investor optimism about Nigeria’s infrastructure development prospects, while banking sector gains suggest confidence in the financial system’s stability amid ongoing economic reforms.
Market analysts attribute the bullish sentiment to improved macroeconomic indicators, including naira stability, declining inflation expectations, and positive corporate earnings reports from listed companies. The sustained buying interest suggests institutional investors are positioning for long-term growth opportunities.
Dr. Uche Uwaleke, Professor of Finance at Nasarawa State University, noted that “the consistent positive performance indicates that investors are becoming more confident about the Nigerian economy’s medium-term prospects, particularly as policy reforms begin to yield positive results.”
The Consumer Goods and Insurance sectors posted marginal declines, reflecting sector-specific challenges including input cost pressures and regulatory adjustments. However, the overall market performance suggests these concerns are being overshadowed by broader economic optimism.
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