The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed the last trading day of the week on a stronger note, with improvements across key market indicators and sustained investor activity that pushed market capitalization to ₦88.9 trillion.
At the close of trading on Friday, September 12, 2025, investors exchanged a total of 434.7 million shares worth ₦16.16 billion in 23,689 deals. The figures reflected a 15 percent increase in traded volume, a 30 percent jump in market turnover, and a 3 percent rise in the number of deals compared with the previous session on Thursday, September 11.
The bullish close came on the back of strong investor appetite across banking, oil and gas, and select mid-tier stocks, despite a slight dip in the benchmark index. The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) shed 120.16 points, or 0.09 percent, to finish at 140,545.69 points. The index, however, remained firmly in the positive territory on a year-to-date basis, with cumulative gains of 36.55 percent. On a weekly note, the ASI posted a 1.13 percent increase, though it showed a four-week decline of 3.27 percent, highlighting a mixed short-term trend.
A total of 124 listed equities participated in the day’s trading, with 31 recording price gains against 21 losers, while the rest closed flat. E-Tranzact International led the gainers’ chart after rising by 9.93 percent to close at ₦14.95 per share. It was trailed by Regency Alliance Insurance (+9.93%), Chellarams (+9.92%), and Industrial & Medical Gases (+9.91%).
On the flip side, Mutual Benefits Assurance recorded the steepest loss, sliding by 7.8 percent to ₦3.90 per share. Lasaco Assurance followed with a 5.97 percent decline, while Daar Communications and PZ Cussons Nigeria dropped 4.5 percent and 3.33 percent, respectively.
In terms of market activity, Secure Electronic Technology Plc stood out as the most actively traded stock of the day with 71.4 million shares. It was followed by Access Holdings with 41 million shares, Sterling Bank with 37.1 million shares, and Regency Alliance Insurance with 20.1 million shares.
The sectoral performance of the NGX indices also revealed a largely positive session. The NGX Banking Index climbed 0.97 percent, extending its one-week gain to 1.68 percent and its year-to-date return to an impressive 41.13 percent. The NGX Oil & Gas Index gained 0.98 percent, while the NGX Pension Index rose 0.53 percent, boosting its YTD performance to 48.12 percent. Similarly, the NGX Main Board Index appreciated 0.17 percent.
However, some indices struggled to maintain momentum. The NGX Top 30 Index slipped by 0.12 percent, while the NGX Consumer Goods Index fell 0.13 percent despite remaining the star performer on a yearly basis with an exceptional 83.85 percent YTD gain.
Market watchers noted that the week’s performance underscored investors’ resilience amid cautious trading, with strong interest in financial services and energy stocks offsetting weakness in select consumer goods equities. Analysts also pointed out that sustained foreign inflows and institutional participation have provided additional liquidity, helping to stabilize the market even as profit-taking activities persist.
With the year-to-date return firmly above 36 percent and sectoral indices showing healthy gains, expectations remain positive for the Nigerian equities market in the short to medium term, barring any sudden macroeconomic shocks or policy reversals.
