The Nigerian Exchange ended Friday’s session with a mixed performance, as market capitalization grew by N184 billion despite a marginal decline in the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI). This divergence highlights the influence of recent share listings on overall market value.
Total market capitalization rose 0.17 percent to N106.153 trillion, up from N105.969 trillion, driven primarily by new listings. These included Presco’s addition of 166,666,667 ordinary shares and Guaranty Trust Holding Company’s (GTCO) listing of 125 million shares priced at N80 each. In contrast, the ASI fell by 0.09 percent, losing 156.91 points to close at 165,370.40, down from 165,527.31. The slight index drop suggests that price declines among some stocks offset the positive impact of the new listings on the broader market valuation.
Market breadth was positive, with 34 equities gaining ground against 31 that declined. Zichis Agro Allied Industries led gainers, rising 9.97 percent to N4.19. It was followed by Abbey Mortgage Bank (9.94 percent to N9.40) and RT Briscoe (9.93 percent to N7.86). On the losing side, Learn Africa, Livestock Feeds, and Livingtrust Microfinance Bank each fell 10 percent to close at N8.10, N6.30, and N4.05 respectively.
Trading activity slowed compared to the previous session. A total of 687.4 million shares worth N14.9 billion were traded across 41,553 deals. This represents a decrease in both volume and value from the 691.4 million shares and N15.4 billion recorded previously, although the number of deals increased.
By volume, Veritas Kapital was the most active stock, with 80.47 million shares exchanged—11.71 percent of the total. Aradel Holdings dominated by value, recording trades worth N2.31 billion, which accounted for 15.43 percent of total turnover.
The session underscores a cautious investor sentiment, where new capital inflows from listings boosted overall market size while individual stock performance remained varied. The uptick in market capitalization provides a positive note for the exchange’s total valuation, but the dip in the ASI and trading volumes indicates some profit-taking and selective engagement in the short term.
