The Nigerian Exchange recorded a positive start to trading on Monday, gaining N542bn in market value as investors returned from the holiday break. The market capitalisation of the exchange now stands at N98.4tn, reflecting renewed investor confidence ahead of the year-end.
A total of 1,468,187,076 shares were traded in 47,873 deals, corresponding to a turnover of N35.53bn. Compared with the last trading session on Wednesday, December 24, trading volume declined by 16 per cent, while turnover rose by 22 per cent and the number of deals improved by 147 per cent.
In total, 128 equities participated in trading, with 41 gainers and 37 losers. Ecobank Transnational Inc. led the gainers with a 10 per cent share price increase, closing at N41.80 per share. Austin Laz & Company also rose by 10 per cent, while Eunisell Interlinked gained 9.95 per cent and Honeywell Flour Mill rose by 9.86 per cent. Guinness Nigeria added 9.82 per cent, and Morison Industries rose by 9.81 per cent.
On the losing side, International Energy Insurance recorded the highest decline, falling 10 per cent to close at N2.34 per share. Meyer Plc and E-Tranzact International both shed 9.92 per cent, while Livestock Feeds declined 9.60 per cent. Cileasing and FirstHoldCo also recorded losses of 8.06 per cent and 6.98 per cent, respectively.
In terms of trading volume, Access Bank led with 594 million shares exchanged for a value of N12.36bn. Champion Breweries followed with 122 million shares worth N1.84bn, while FCMB Group traded 116 million shares valued at N1.26bn. Japaul Gold and Ventures recorded 66 million shares traded at N155.25m, and FirstHoldCo traded 51 million shares worth N2.56bn.
Zenith Bank, Champion Breweries, FirstHoldCo, and WAPCO were also among the top value stocks, reflecting strong investor activity in major market players.
Market analysts said the performance reflected a combination of year-end portfolio adjustments by institutional investors and renewed interest in high-performing stocks such as Ecobank, Guinness, and Honeywell Flour Mill.
The market’s gain of N542bn in a single session signals optimism as the year draws to a close, with investors keenly watching for opportunities in blue-chip stocks and high-volume counters.
