The Nigerian stock market saw modest gains on Thursday, March 26, 2026, as the All-Share Index edged up by 32 points to close at 200,957.9. Despite relatively low trading activity, the market’s year-to-date return improved slightly to 29.14%, reflecting a broadly bullish sentiment among investors. Equity capitalization remained stable at N128.9 trillion, with a total of 42,222 deals executed during the session.
MTN Nigeria dominated market activity, leading value trades with N11.06 billion, followed by Access Holdings at N3.4 billion. In terms of trading volume, Access Holdings topped the list with 134.5 million shares, while Wema Bank and Veritas Kapital recorded 105.5 million and 74.1 million shares, respectively. The numbers show that large-cap and highly traded stocks continue to capture investor attention.
On the gainers’ chart, Zichis Agro-Allied and Premier Paints led with 10% increases each, highlighting strong sector-specific momentum. Conversely, University Press and Sunu Assurances experienced significant declines of 9.17% and 8.88%, signaling selective profit-taking among some investors. Other notable gainers included Legend Internet and John Holt, while Veritas Kapital and FTN Cocoa were among the session’s top losers.
Among the SWOOTs, large-cap stocks posted mixed results. Nigerian Breweries rose by 1.88%, while MTN Nigeria recorded a modest 0.15% increase. Lafarge and Wema Bank, on the other hand, dipped slightly, reflecting cautious trading across the blue-chip segment. Within the FUGAZ banking group, Zenith Bank and GTCO saw modest gains, while UBA and Access Holdings retreated slightly, suggesting selective investor optimism in the sector.
The All-Share Index appears to have solidified above the 200,000 mark and may aim for the 201,000 level if current buying interest continues. Despite the session’s soft upward movement, the 677 million shares traded indicate a steady engagement from investors, hinting at the potential for further market gains in the coming weeks.
source: Nairametrics