The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) closed the last trading day of the week with significant gains across major indices, reflecting renewed investor confidence and an uptick in market activity.
On Friday, a total of 571,675,031 shares changed hands across 20,397 deals, representing a market turnover of NGN 29,042,922,966.08. Compared with Thursday’s session, trading volume rose by 8%, turnover surged by 136%, and the number of deals increased by 12%, signaling heightened market activity ahead of the weekend. The current market capitalization of NGX now stands at NGN 95.3 trillion.
Market participation remained broad, with 127 listed equities exchanging hands. Among the gainers, Guinness Nigeria led with a 10% rise to close at NGN 217.80 per share, followed closely by Morison Industries (+9.84%), Champion Breweries (+9.69%), and Austin Laz & Company (+9.66%). On the other end of the spectrum, E-Tranzact International recorded the steepest loss of 10%, ending the day at NGN 12.60 per share, while Chellarams, Eunisell Interlinked, and Africa Prudential fell by 9.9%, 9.89%, and 9.77% respectively.
In terms of trading volume, Access Holdings dominated with 106 million shares exchanged. Consolidated Hallmark Holdings followed with 59.9 million shares, Transcorp Power with 42.8 million, and Zenith Bank with 37.7 million shares.
The bullish sentiment was mirrored in key market indices. The benchmark NGX All-Share Index (ASI) gained 1,482.64 points, or 1%, to close at 149,433.23. On a weekly basis, the ASI recorded a 1.63% increase, while its month-to-date gain stood at 1.65%, and the year-to-date return surged to 45.18%. Other indices also posted gains, including the NGX Top 30 Index (+0.96%), NGX Premium Index (+2.18%), NGX Consumer Goods Index (+1.53%), NGX Pension Index (+0.73%), NGX Insurance Index (+0.51%), and NGX Main Board Index (+0.37%).
The NGX Premium and Consumer Goods indices were among the strongest performers, posting year-to-date returns of 58.91% and 105.94% respectively, reflecting sustained investor interest in high-growth and consumer-focused stocks.
Market analysts attributed Friday’s positive session to a combination of improved investor sentiment, targeted trading in high-performing stocks, and renewed optimism in key sectors driving the broader economy.
With the market closing the week on an upbeat note, stakeholders are now closely monitoring trading patterns and macroeconomic indicators for signals on whether the bullish trend will persist into the coming week.
