The Nigerian Exchange closed on a positive note on Thursday as investors gained N190bn, buoyed by price appreciation in Guinness Nigeria Plc, C&I Leasing Plc, and LivingTrust Mortgage Bank Plc.
At the close of trading, the market capitalisation of listed equities rose to N89tn, while the All-Share Index advanced by 291.93 points, or 0.21 per cent, to settle at 140,657.29. This performance translated to a one-week gain of 1.81 per cent, a four-week loss of 3.57 per cent, but an overall year-to-date return of 36.66 per cent.
Market breadth was positive, with 41 gainers against 12 losers. Guinness Nigeria led the gainers’ chart with a 10 per cent increase to close at N143.00 per share. It was followed by C&I Leasing, which also appreciated 10 per cent to close at N6.60, and LivingTrust Mortgage Bank, which gained 10 per cent to settle at N4.62 per share. E-Tranzact International rose 9.68 per cent to N13.60, while Regal Insurance climbed 9.42 per cent to N1.51 per share.
On the losers’ table, NEM Insurance recorded the highest decline with a 9.94 per cent drop to close at N28.10 per share.
AXA Mansard Insurance trailed with a 4.76 per cent loss to N15.99, while Computer Warehouse Group shed 4.71 per cent to end the day at N16.20 per share. Ellah Lakes fell 4.29 per cent to N13.40, and Consolidated Hallmark Plc dropped 4.28 per cent to close at N4.03 per share. UPDC Real Estate Investment Trust also declined 3.29 per cent to N7.35.
In terms of volume, Japaul Gold and Ventures emerged as the most traded stock, with 42.1m shares. It was followed by Zenith Bank, which exchanged 27.9m units; United Bank for Africa, with 27.3m shares; and Access Holdings, with 25.3m shares.
Sectoral performance showed strength across major indices. The Banking Index advanced 0.78 per cent, reflecting investor interest in banking stocks, while the Consumer Goods Index rose 0.21 per cent, maintaining its strong year-to-date growth of 84.08 per cent. The Pension Index gained 0.42 per cent, the Premium Index climbed 0.34 per cent, and the Top 30 Index appreciated 0.15 per cent.
Meanwhile, trading activity recorded a decline compared to the previous session. Investors exchanged 378.16m shares valued at N12.4bn in 22,896 deals, representing a 51 per cent drop in volume, a 69 per cent decline in turnover, and an eight per cent decrease in the number of deals.
Analysts noted that the positive close despite weaker trading activity reflects continued investor confidence in bellwether stocks such as Guinness, Access Holdings, Zenith Bank, and UBA, which are driving momentum in the market.
