The Nigerian equities market rebounded on Friday, ending the week on a positive note as investors recorded a net gain of N3.24 trillion. The All‑Share Index (ASI) rose 5,041.22 points, or 2.10 percent, to close at 244,775.83, up from 239,734.61 in the previous session. The year‑to‑date return therefore climbed to 57.30 percent.
Market breadth turned positive, with 45 stocks advancing and 31 declining. Leading the gainers were Dangote Cement, Cadbury, Mecure, Neimeth and Livingtrust Mortgage, each posting a 10 percent increase. Their closing prices were N1,088, N72.60, N72.60, N9.90 and N3.52 per share, respectively.
Among the losers, UACN and Industrial & Medical Gases each fell 10 percent, finishing at N171 and N42.30 per share. Other notable declines included Eterna (‑9.93 percent, N33.55), Learn Africa (‑9.89 percent, N8.20) and Deap Capital Management (‑9.69 percent, N5.50).
Trading activity slowed compared with the previous day. Total volume fell 36.89 percent to 1.16 billion shares, valued at N59.80 billion across 72,733 transactions. Access Corporation was the most actively traded stock by volume, with 104.43 million shares exchanged, representing 9.04 percent of the day’s total volume. In value terms, MTN Nigeria led the market, accounting for N7.39 billion, or 12.35 percent of the total value traded.
The Friday rally suggests renewed investor confidence after a period of bearish pressure, but reduced turnover indicates a cautious approach as market participants assess the upward momentum. Continued monitoring of trading volumes and sector performance will be essential to gauge the sustainability of the recent gains.
