The Nigerian Exchange recorded its first gain in March, with renewed investor interest boosting market capitalization by N216 billion to N66.9 trillion.
At Thursday’s close, the All-Share Index rose by 344.24 points (0.32%) to 106,780.72. Despite a 0.83% weekly decline, it holds a 1.28% four-week gain and a 3.74% year-to-date increase, reflecting market stability.
Thursday’s session recorded 375.7 million shares worth N10.18 billion in 11,447 deals, marking a 4% decline in volume and a 10% drop in turnover from Wednesday’s session.
A total of 128 stocks participated in the day’s trading, with 35 recording gains, 15 declining, and others remaining unchanged.
Transcorp Nigeria Plc led the gainers, rising 9.98% to N51.80 per share. SCOA Nigeria followed with a 9.88% gain to N3.78, while Africa Prudential climbed 9.87% to N30.60, and Tantalizers rose 9.72% to N2.37.
On the losing side, MRS Oil Nigeria, Red Star Express, and Sunu Assurances Nigeria each dropped 10%, closing at N166.50, N5.94, and N4.77 per share, respectively. Lasaco Assurance also declined 7.99% to N2.65 per share.
The banking sector led in trading volume, with Guaranty Trust Holding topping the list at 49.9 million shares. Access Holdings followed with 43.9 million, while Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank traded 36.5 million and 27.1 million shares, respectively.
Sectoral performance was mixed across key indices, reflecting varied market trends.
The Top 30 Index rose 0.42%, reflecting interest in blue-chip stocks. The Pension Index climbed 0.9%, showing confidence in pension equities. The Banking Index gained 0.83%, while the Consumer Goods Index advanced 0.78%. The Premium Index rose 0.37%, and the Main Board Index added 0.3%.
