The Nigerian equities market reversed its earlier bearish momentum on Friday, ending the week with a gain of N3.236 trillion. Strong buying pressure in large‑ and mid‑cap stocks lifted the market into positive territory.
Market capitalisation rose 2.10 per cent to N157.094 trillion, up from N153.858 trillion recorded on Thursday. The All‑Share Index (ASI) similarly advanced 5,041.22 points, or 2.10 per cent, closing at 244,775.83 versus 239,734.61 in the previous session. The year‑to‑date (YTD) return therefore stood at 57.30 per cent. Market breadth turned positive, with 45 gainers against 31 losers.
The top performers were Dangote Cement Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mecure Industries Plc, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc and LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc, each posting roughly a 10 per cent increase. Their closing prices were N1,088, N72.60, N72.60, N9.90 and N3.52 per share, respectively. On the downside, UACN and Industrial and Medical Gases each fell about 10 per cent, closing at N171 and N42.30 per share. Other notable decliners included Eterna (‑9.93 per cent to N33.55), Learn Africa (‑9.89 per cent to N8.20) and Deap Capital Management (‑9.69 per cent to N5.50).
Trading activity contracted, with total volume dropping 36.89 per cent to 1.16 billion shares valued at N59.80 billion across 72,733 deals. Access Corporation was the most actively traded stock by volume, handling 104.43 million shares, or 9.04 per cent of the day’s total. In value terms, MTN Nigeria led the market, accounting for N7.39 billion, or 12.35 per cent of total value traded.
The Friday rebound underscores renewed investor confidence in the broader market and highlights the pivotal role of large‑cap equities in driving index performance. Continued monitoring of trading volumes and sectoral participation will be essential for assessing the sustainability of the upturn heading into the next trading week.
