NGX Opens Week Positive as Investors Gain ₦79.6bn on Renewed Buying Interest
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) kicked off the new trading week on a positive note as the All-Share Index (ASI) inched up by 0.09% to close at 145,880.77 points on Monday. This modest gain pushed the year-to-date growth to 41.73%, reinforcing the market’s strong performance in 2025. The rally was driven by renewed investor appetite, especially in high-cap stocks, boosting overall sentiment in the equity market.
Market capitalisation rose by ₦79.6 billion to settle at ₦92.29 trillion. Blue-chip companies including MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Access Holdings Plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, and AIICO Insurance Plc were key contributors to the day’s gains. Market breadth remained positive at 1.18x, with 40 gainers and 34 losers, showing a competitive push-and-pull between bargain hunters and profit-takers.
Top performers of the day were AIICO Insurance Plc, Sunu Assurances Nigeria Plc, and Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc, each surging by 10%. On the flip side, Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, ABC Transport Plc, and UAC of Nigeria Plc led the losers’ table, shedding 10.00%, 9.99%, and 9.92% respectively. These movements highlighted sector-specific volatility and investor rotations within the market.
Sectoral performance was mixed. The NGX Insurance Index emerged as the day’s best performer, soaring 9.74% on sustained buying in insurance stocks. The NGX Banking Index gained 0.44%, while the NGX Consumer Goods Index rose 0.98%. However, the NGX Industrial Goods Index fell by 1.47%, and the NGX Oil/Gas Index dipped 0.56%, reflecting selective investor activity across industries.
Trading activity slowed as total volume declined by 4.52% to 2.12 billion units, and total value of trades plunged 40.17% to ₦19.4 billion. Linkage Assurance Plc was the most traded stock by volume, followed by Universal Insurance Plc and AIICO Insurance Plc. In value terms, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc led with ₦1.73 billion, ahead of Zenith Bank Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated. Analysts attributed the modest market gain to strategic positioning in undervalued stocks ahead of further corporate earnings reports, despite the day’s mixed sectoral results.
Source: The Sun