The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) began September on a bearish note, with investors losing a total of ₦363 billion in market value on Monday, September 2, 2025. Market capitalisation dropped to ₦88.4 trillion, while the benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) declined by 573.31 points (0.41%), closing at 139,722.19 points. This marked a one-week loss of 1.21 per cent and a four-week decline of 3.02 per cent, despite a year-to-date gain of 35.75 per cent.
Trading activity showed mixed signals, as investors exchanged 407.96 million shares worth ₦14.77 billion in 33,843 deals. Compared to the previous session on August 29, trading volume fell by six per cent, but turnover improved by 42 per cent, with a 32 per cent increase in the number of deals. Despite the surge in transaction value, weak sentiment dominated the market.
The decline cut across key indices, with the Top 30 Index shedding 0.38 per cent, Consumer Goods Index down 0.03 per cent, Insurance Index falling 0.05 per cent, Main Board Index slipping 0.17 per cent, and the Oil & Gas Index losing 0.45 per cent. The Pension Index recorded the sharpest drop, down 0.6 per cent, reflecting persistent sell pressure across sectors.
Market breadth remained negative as 126 equities traded, with 15 gainers against 33 losers. Leading the gainers was Sovereign Trust Insurance, up 10 per cent to ₦2.86 per share, followed by Scoa Nigeria (+9.83%), Cornerstone Insurance (+7.98%), and Guinea Insurance (+7.75%). On the losing side, Eterna Plc, Ellah Lakes, and Veritas Kapital Assurance each shed 10 per cent, while Chams Plc and Cutix Plc also recorded significant losses.
In terms of activity, FCMB Group led the volume chart with 55.8 million shares traded, followed by Access Holdings (31.9m), Fidelity Bank (26.2m), NSL Technologies (22.4m), and AIICO Insurance (17.7m). On the value side, Aradel Plc topped with ₦5.31 billion, while Zenith Bank, WAPCO, Access Holdings, and GTCO rounded out the top five. Last week, equities had already lost ₦439 billion, showing a consistent bearish trend that has extended into the new month.
Source: Punch