The Nigerian stock market began the second quarter of 2025 on a negative note, with the All-Share Index falling by 0.14% to close at 105,515.99 points. This decline resulted in a market capitalization drop of N90.70bn, bringing the total to N66.17tn. The market’s subdued performance was further reflected in decreased trading activity, with both transaction volume and value falling by 19.99% and 44.41%, respectively. Despite this, the number of deals surged by 30.52%, with a total of 17,286 transactions valued at N12.02bn.
Investor sentiment remained weak throughout the day, as the market breadth reflected a negative outlook. While 25 stocks advanced, 33 declined, signaling a lack of confidence in the market. The biggest losers included UAC Nigeria, UPL, SUNU Assure, Conhall PLC, and Learn Africa, all of which experienced significant declines in their stock prices.
Sectoral performance mirrored the overall market downturn, with the insurance, consumer goods, oil & gas, and commodity sectors posting losses. The insurance sector saw the largest loss at 2.61%, while the consumer goods and oil & gas sectors recorded slight declines of 0.01% and 0.49%, respectively. In contrast, the banking sector managed a marginal gain of 0.07%, and the commodities sector remained unchanged.
Although the market ended the first trading day of Q2 on a negative note, it had shown positive momentum during the previous week, with three out of five trading sessions closing in the green. This rebound was largely driven by strong performances from select banking stocks, which helped to lift market sentiment. However, the overall bearish trend on the first day of April raises concerns for the future performance of the bourse.
Source: punch