The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) closed the final trading day of the week, Friday, April 11, 2025, on a mixed note, as key market performance indicators showed a blend of losses and gains across various sectors.
A total of 379.95 million shares were traded in 10,791 deals, corresponding to a market turnover of N10.1 billion, marking a 12% decline in trading volume, 4% improvement in turnover, and 10% drop in the number of deals compared to the previous day’s session. Despite the fluctuations, the market capitalization of the Exchange settled at N65.7 trillion, reflecting resilience amid moderate investor activity.
Market breadth and sector performance
A total of 127 listed equities participated in Friday’s trading session, with 36 gainers outperforming 19 losers, suggesting a positive market breadth.
Caverton Offshore Support Group topped the gainers’ chart with a 9.96% surge in share price to close at N2.54, followed closely by VFD Group (+9.9%), Abbey Mortgage Bank (+9.86%), and FTN Cocoa Processors (+9.83%).
On the flip side, Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc led the losers, shedding 9.71% to close at N0.93 per share. Other top laggards included Royal Exchange (-9.09%), Sovereign Trust Insurance (-7.61%), and Guinea Insurance (-7.35%).
Heavyweight stocks and volume drivers
In terms of volume, Access Holdings dominated activity with 73.2 million shares, followed by Zenith Bank (33.3 million shares), Cutix (29.7 million shares), and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (25.7 million shares)—showing sustained interest in the banking sector and key financial stocks.
Index Movement
The NGX All-Share Index (ASI) shed 224.91 points, representing a 0.21% daily decline, to close at 104,563.34 points. This brought the weekly loss to 0.9% and the 4-week decline to 1.44%, although the year-to-date (YTD) performance remained positive at +1.59%.
Other notable indices reflected varied performances:
- NGX Top 30 Index: -0.27% (1WK: -1%, YTD: +1.79%)
- NGX Insurance Index: +2.07% (1WK: -4.57%, YTD: -10.99%)
- NGX Banking Index: +0.55% (1WK: -2.2%, YTD: +4.83%)
- NGX Main Board Index: +0.14% (1WK: -0.56%, YTD: +0.91%)
- NGX Pension Index: +0.1% (1WK: -1.46%, YTD: +4.54%)
- NGX Consumer Goods Index: Flat at 0% (1WK: -0.61%, YTD: +3.28%)
Outlook
Although the NGX All-Share Index recorded marginal losses, the breadth of gainers and improved turnover suggest pockets of investor optimism, particularly in insurance and banking stocks. Analysts expect cautious trading to continue next week as investors digest macroeconomic cues and prepare for Q1 corporate earnings releases.
