The Nigerian stock market experienced a slight drop of 0.14% in the trading week that concluded on Friday, April 4, 2025. The market’s performance was notably impacted by a holiday-shortened week due to the Eid-el-Fitr celebration, which saw trading days limited to just three sessions. Despite mild interest in banking stocks, driven by investor positioning for upcoming dividends, other key sectors such as insurance, oil & gas, and consumer goods faced significant sell pressure.
Overall, investors saw a loss of approximately N110 billion during the review period. The market was unable to recover from a bearish trend that dominated the week, with the All-Share Index (ASI) closing lower on consecutive days. The decline in stock prices was particularly noticeable in sectors outside of banking, with the broader market reflecting cautious sentiment.
The early part of the week, specifically Monday, March 31, and Tuesday, April 1, 2025, were marked by public holidays in observance of Eid-el-Fitr. As a result, market activity was limited, and the absence of trading on those days contributed to the overall subdued performance. When trading resumed, the market struggled to maintain positive momentum, closing in the red for the remaining days.
As of Friday, April 4, 2025, the NGX All-Share Index (ASI) and market capitalization both experienced a slight decline. The ASI fell from 105,660.64 points at the start of the week to 105,511.89 points, while the market capitalization decreased from N66.257 trillion to N66.147 trillion. Despite the week’s losses, the Nigerian stock market has recorded a positive return of 2.51% year-to-date.
Source: Business Day