Equities Investors add ₦1.85trn in value as NGX ASI Gains 165bps
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) sustained its bullish momentum on Tuesday, with the All-Share Index (ASI) advancing by 165 basis points to close at 176,809.42 points. Market capitalizcapitalisation₦1.85 trillion to settle at ₦113.50 trillion, lifting year-to-date (YTD) returns to 13.62 per cent from 11.78 per cent in the previous session.
Data from the NGX showed that the rally was driven by strong gains in bellwether stocks, notably MTN Nigeria (+3.71%), Aradel Holdings (+7.14%), and AccessCorp (+3.88%), which offset losses in Abbey Mortgage Bank (-9.82%), Guinea Insurance (-6.67%), and FCMB Group (-2.16%).
Investor appetite strengthened as turnover jumped 80.64 per cent compared to the prior session. A total of 1.30 billion shares valued at ₦50.43 billion were exchanged across 58,965 deals. DEAP Capital (+10.00%) led the volume chart with 283.12 million units traded, while MTN Nigeria topped the value chart with transactions worth ₦6.80 billion.
Market breadth closed firmly positive at 3.00x, with 66 advancers significantly outpacing 22 decliners. DEAP Capital (+10.00%) led the gainers’ chart, while Abbey Mortgage Bank (-9.82%) was the worst performer.
On the other hand, the NASD OTC market mirrored the upbeat sentiment, as the NASD Securities Index (NSI) rose 1.68 per cent to close at 3,830.31 points. Market capitalisation by ₦38 billion to ₦2.29 trillion.
However, activity weakened, with transaction volume and value dipping by 50.05 per cent and 10.35 per cent, respectively. SDIWAPLC (+9.12%) led the gainers, while SDMRS (-11.11%) topped the losers.
Analysts note that the ₦1.85 trillion gain in NGX capitalisation reflects renewed institutional positioning in large-cap stocks, particularly in telecoms and banking. The YTD return of 13.62 per cent signals strong early momentum in 2026, with investors betting on earnings resilience and policy support.
With liquidity rotating into high-value counters and the NASD market showing selective gains, investors are expected to maintain cautious optimism, balancing opportunities in growth sectors against risks from inflationary pressures and global capital flows.
