NGX hits historic high as equity investors gain N1.87trn

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) opened the week on a bullish note, with the NGX All Share Index (ASI) rising by 1.74%, to reach a new all-time high of 159,218.22 points. 

Consequently, the year-to-date return improved to 2.32% from 0.57% in the previous session. Market capitalisation also crossed the N100trn threshold, appreciating by N1.87trn to settle at N101.81trn.

The bullish sentiment was spurred by strong buying interest in select heavyweight industrials and tier-one banking names, including BUACEMENT, GTCO, UBA,  ZENITHBANK, ACCESSCORP, and FIRSTHOLDCO. These gains offset selloffs recorded in services stocks such as TRANSCORP (-0.88%), IKEJAHOTEL, and SUNUASSUR.

Market activity was mixed, with the transaction volume rising by 58.12%, while the value of trades declined by 25.65%. TANTALIZER (+7.89%) led the volume chart with 71.75mn units, while ZENITHBANK (+3.88%) led the value of trades with N3.51bn.

Market breadth was very strong at 10.43x, indicating that market advancers significantly outnumbered decliners. CADBURY (+10.00%) and nine (9) others led the seventy-three (73) market gainers. JULI (-9.93%) led the seven (7) market decliners, while the other stocks closed flat.

Market capitalisation hits a historic high as equity investors gain N1.87 trillion in the early 2026 rally. The market delivered a 51.2% gain in 2025 on increased local participation.

Investors are staking bets on listed companies’ shares as the local bourse becomes a hedge against double-digit inflation and a wealth creation platform for investors.

Sectoral performance was broadly positive, with insurance soaring BY 4.97% while the banking index jumped up by 4.71%.  The Oil & Gas index edged higher by 2.75%, the Consumer Goods gained 2.06%, the Commodities sector was up by 1.59%, and Industrial stocks advanced 0.95%.

Trading activity presented a mixed picture: the number of deals and volume increased by 40.72% and 58.12% to 56,632 trades and 695.65 million units, respectively, while overall transaction value fell 25.65% to ₦18.57 billion, reflecting selective buying in high-volume stocks.