Nigerian Stock Market Rebounds with ₦285bn Gain After Four-Day Slump

|By Babatunji Wusu

The Nigerian stock market snapped a four-day losing streak on Friday, as renewed investor confidence lifted the market by ₦285 billion.

Data from the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) showed that market capitalisation climbed from ₦97.258 trillion to ₦97.543 trillion — a 0.29 per cent rise. Similarly, the All-Share Index advanced by 449.80 points to close at 154,126.46, pushing the year-to-date return to 49.74 per cent.

Despite the rebound, market breadth closed negative, with 35 losers outpacing 31 gainers. However, renewed interest in key stocks such as Julius Berger, Learn Africa, Cornerstone Insurance, Aso Savings, and Ikeja Hotel helped sustain positive momentum. Julius Berger and other top-performing stocks led the gainers’ chart.

Conversely, Eterna, McNichols, and Deap Capital plunged by 10 per cent each, closing at ₦36.00, ₦2.97, and ₦1.71 per share, respectively.

Trading activity remained strong, with investors exchanging 5.2 billion shares worth ₦45.2 billion across 30,598 deals. Cornerstone Insurance dominated market activity, accounting for 4.68 billion shares valued at ₦22.13 billion, followed by Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) with 66.4 million shares worth ₦5.9 billion.

The session’s upturn underscores growing optimism among investors eyeing value in the equities market after a week of consistent declines.