Trading on the Nigerian equities market closed on a positive note last week, as investors gained about ₦1.765 trillion in three trading sessions on the Nigerian Exchange Limited.
The market recorded gains during a shortened trading week, with activities spanning three sessions. The positive performance reflects continued investor participation and movements in key equities.
Market capitalisation, which measures the total value of listed equities, rose to ₦129.125 trillion from ₦127.360 trillion recorded in the previous week.
The All-Share Index increased by 1.4 percent, closing at 201,156.86 points, up from 198,407.30 points recorded in the previous week.
Investor sentiment was influenced by a softer inflation figure for February and selective buying in major stocks.
Notable gainers included:
- BUA Cement, up 21.0 percent
- Zenith Bank, up 14.6 percent
- Dangote Cement, up 1.9 percent
- WAPCO, up 5.9 percent
Month-to-date and year-to-date returns strengthened to 4.3 percent and 29.3 percent, respectively.
Trading activity also improved, with total volume and value rising by 166.2 percent and 62.3 percent week-on-week.
Sectoral performance was mixed. The Industrial Goods Index gained 5.7 percent, Oil and Gas rose 1.5 percent, and Consumer Goods increased 0.6 percent. However, the Insurance Index declined by 4.6 percent, while the Banking Index dropped 1.0 percent.
Market analysts noted that investor focus is shifting toward corporate actions, including the release of audited financial results and dividend declarations by major banks.
