…The NASD market closed on a bearish note, with the NASD Security Index (NSI) declining by 0.35% to 4,130.89 points
TUE MAR 17 2026-theGBJournal| The Nigerian naira rose 1.7% to N1,343.50/US$ on Tuesday, its second consecutive session of appreciation, signaling renewed stability in the foreign exchange market amid sustained demand management and improving investor sentiment.
The local currency’s upward movement reflects ongoing efforts by monetary authorities to enhance liquidity and restore confidence in the FX market.
Meanwhile, the domestic equities market mirrored the positive momentum, as the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) All-Share Index advanced by 0.54% to 202,559.56 points.
Consequently, the Month-to-Date and Year-to-Date returns settled higher at +5.1% and +30.2%, respectively, while market capitalisation rose by 0.54% to settle at N130.03 trillion.
The total volume traded advanced by 84.8% to 1.75 billion units, valued at NGN88.10 billion, and exchanged in 62,654 deals. FCMB was the most traded stock by volume at 516.23 million units, while ZENITHBANK was the most traded stock by value at NGN18.10 billion.
Sectoral performance was mixed as the Industrial Goods (+4.5%) and Banking (+4.3%) Indices closed higher, while the Consumer Goods (-1.3%), Insurance (-0.4%) and Oil & Gas (-0.1%) Indices closed lower.
As measured by market breadth, market sentiment was positive (1.2x), as 38 tickers gained relative to 33 losers. BUACEMENT (+10.0%) and PREMPAINTS (+9.9%) posted the most significant gains of the day, while PRESCO (-10.0%) and CAVERTON (-8.7%) led the laggards.
Overall, the dual strength across both the currency and equity markets points to a cautiously optimistic outlook for Nigeria’s financial landscape.
Market participants remain watchful of policy signals and external factors, but the current trend suggests improving sentiment and a potential foundation for sustained market recovery.
The NASD market closed on a bearish note, with the NASD Security Index (NSI) declining by 0.35% to 4,130.89 points, while market capitalisation also eased by 0.35% to settle at N2.47 trillion.
Despite the negative close, market activity improved significantly, as trading volume surged by 246.85% and value increased by 64.61% compared to the previous session.
On the performance chart, SDLIGHTFSP led the gainers with an 8.33% advance, while SDOKITIPUPA recorded the steepest loss, declining by 6.98%.
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