Trading activities on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed on a bearish note Friday, August 29, 2025, as investors recorded significant declines in volume, turnover, and number of deals compared with the previous session.
At the close of transactions, a total of 435.13 million shares valued at ₦10.39 billion exchanged hands in 25,573 deals. This represented a 51% decline in volume, 63% drop in turnover, and 2% fall in deals compared to Thursday, August 28. The market capitalization settled at ₦88.8 trillion.
Gainers and Losers
Out of 128 listed equities that participated in the session, 19 posted gains while 31 closed in the red.
- Learn Africa Plc led the gainers’ chart with a 9.86% rise, closing at ₦7.80 per share.
- Union Dicon Salt Plc followed with an 8.04% increase, while Prestige Assurance Company Plc and Academy Press Plc appreciated by 6.75% and 6.11% respectively.
On the flip side, John Holt Plc topped the losers’ table with a 10% decline, closing at ₦6.30 per share. Lasaco Assurance Plc shed 9.64%, Guinea Insurance Plc fell by 7.79%, while Universal Insurance Plc dropped 6.25%.
Most Active Stocks
In terms of volume, VFD Group Plc emerged as the most actively traded stock, recording 49.3 million shares. It was followed by Secure Electronic Technology Plc with 33.2 million shares, Access Holdings Plc with 26.9 million shares, and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) with 21.3 million shares.
Market Indices Performance
The benchmark NGX All-Share Index (ASI) shed 261.77 points, or 0.19%, to close at 140,295.47 points. This translated to a 0.5% weekly decline, a 0.68% loss over four weeks, but still reflected a robust 36.31% year-to-date gain.
Other key sectoral indices closed mixed:
- NGX Top 30 Index: -0.21% (1-week: -0.46%; YTD: +34.21%)
- NGX Consumer Goods Index: +0.14% (1-week: -0.89%; YTD: +84.24%)
- NGX Industrial Index: -0.01% (1-week: -0.36%; YTD: +39.26%)
- NGX Main Board Index: -0.02% (1-week: -0.38%; YTD: +36.28%)
- NGX Pension Index: -0.51% (1-week: -0.75%; YTD: +47.3%)
- NGX Premium Index: -0.51% (1-week: -0.75%; YTD: +42.8%)
Market Outlook
Despite Friday’s decline, analysts say the market continues to reflect investor confidence, with the year-to-date performance still firmly positive. However, short-term volatility is expected to persist, driven by profit-taking, sector rotation, and global market uncertainties.
