Nigerian Stock Market Extends Losses as CHAMPION, AUSTINLAZ Lead Gainers Despite 0.73% ASI Drop

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) extended its losing streak on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, as the All-Share Index (ASI) fell by 1,047.16 points to close at 141,566.31, representing a 0.73% decline from the previous day’s 142,613.47. This marks the second consecutive day of sharp losses, following Tuesday’s 2,100-point drop, reflecting sustained bearish sentiment across the market.

Market capitalization slipped below the ₦90 trillion mark, settling at ₦89.5 trillion compared to ₦90.2 trillion the day before. Trading activity also weakened, with market volume falling to 721.8 million shares from 1.02 billion sharesrecorded in the previous session, indicating reduced investor appetite amid the downturn.

Despite the overall decline, AUSTINLAZ and CHAMPION Breweries emerged as top performers, with share prices rising 10% and 9.97% respectively. Other gainers included NCR (+9.77%), Multiverse (+8.82%), and Enamelware (+8.64%). On the downside, Guinness Nigeria and Conoil led the losers’ chart, both shedding 9.98%, alongside Conhall (-9.94%), Royal Exchange (-9.92%), and Ellah Lakes (-9.81%).

Trading activity was driven largely by CHAMPION, which topped the volume chart with 54.5 million shares traded, followed by Univinsure with 47.8 million shares and Royal Exchange with 46.1 million shares. In value terms, Zenith Bank (₦1.26bn), MTN Nigeria (₦1.25bn), and CHAMPION (₦988.2m) led the market, reflecting investor focus on banking and blue-chip stocks.

Meanwhile, the performance of the SWOOTs (Stocks Worth Over One Trillion Naira) was mixed. International Breweries plunged 9.75%, while Nigerian Breweries fell 2.43%. Among the FUGAZ banks, GTCO declined 5.11% and Access Holdings slipped 0.18%, while Zenith Bank posted a 1.42% gain. Analysts warn that if bearish momentum persists, the ASI may drop below 141,000 points, with the possibility of testing the 140,000 threshold in coming sessions.

Source: Nairametrics