Investors gain N1.27trn as naira depreciates
Investors on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) recorded a strong N1.27 trillion gain on Thursday as bullish sentiment, driven by advances in heavyweight stocks such as Seplat Energy and MTN Nigeria, pushed the market higher. The All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 1.18 per cent to close at 170,005.36 points, while equities market capitalisation climbed by the […]
Investors on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) recorded a strong N1.27 trillion gain on Thursday as bullish sentiment, driven by advances in heavyweight stocks such as Seplat Energy and MTN Nigeria, pushed the market higher.
The All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 1.18 per cent to close at 170,005.36 points, while equities market capitalisation climbed by the same margin to settle at N109.13 trillion, reflecting renewed buying interest across key sectors of the market.
Seplat led the gainers’ table with a 10.00 per cent appreciation, followed by Julius Berger (+5.00%), Vitafoam (+4.82%), Dangote Sugar (+3.69%) and MTN Nigeria (+3.65%).
However, some counters closed in negative territory. DEAP Capital recorded the steepest decline, shedding 9.62 per cent, while CWG (-2.60%), Ellah Lakes (-1.67%), Wema Bank (-1.19%) and Zenith Bank (-0.27%) also posted losses.
Market activity remained upbeat, as investors traded 712.98 million shares valued at N22.26 billion in 46,104 deals, signalling solid liquidity and continued confidence in equities.
Trading statistics showed improvement across key metrics. Volume increased by 2.62 per cent, transaction value rose 8.23 per cent, and the number of deals advanced 9.52 per cent compared with the previous session.
Access Holdings topped the volume chart with 106.63 million shares traded, followed by Chams (44.50 million), Champion Breweries (44.46 million) and Universal Insurance (34.82 million).
In terms of value, Geregu Power led with N2.80 billion worth of trades, trailed by Access Holdings (N2.45 billion), Seplat (N1.81 billion) and Zenith Bank (N1.63 billion).
Sectoral performance closed largely positive. The Oil and Gas index posted the strongest gain, rising 4.68 per cent, while the Commodity index advanced 2.52 per cent. The Industrial, Banking and Consumer Goods indices also gained 0.79 per cent, 0.64 per cent and 0.11 per cent respectively. The Insurance sector, however, slipped 0.31 per cent.
Market breadth remained firmly bullish at three-to-one, with 55 advancing stocks outpacing 19 decliners.
Coronation, Seplat, Prestige Assurance, RT Briscoe and Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals were among the top performers, while DEAP Capital, Universal Insurance, HMC Allied, Red Star Express and UPDC recorded the steepest losses.
Meanwhile, in the corporate space, BUA Foods reported a strong earnings performance for the financial year ended 2025, with profit after tax surging 91 per cent to N508 billion, further boosting investor interest in consumer goods stocks.
The day’s performance underscores sustained optimism in the domestic equities market as investors continue to position in fundamentally strong counters amid improving macroeconomic signals.
Naira weakens at N1,366
In a related development, the naira weakened against the US dollar at the official window on Thursday, depreciating by N7.77 to close at N1,366.05/US$ compared with N1,358.28/US$ previously reported by the Central Bank.
Daily Trust reports that the exchange rate came under slight pressure as requisition for international payments eclipsed dollar volume at the supply side, slightly reversing the recent trend.
Based on data from the CBN, Fx largely traded within the low and high bands of N1,361.80/US$ and N1,380.00/US$ respectively, in the absence of currency intervention.