FRI SEPT 25 2026-theGBJournal| The Nigerian equities market closed bullish on Thursday, extending its positive performance for the fourth consecutive session this week, as the NGX All-Share Index (ASI) advanced by to close at 252,150.01 points, while market capitalisation increased by 0.38% to settle at N163.68 trillion.
This lifted the ASI year-to-date return to 62.04%, from 61.42% in the previous session.
The positive performance was driven by gains in SEPLAT (+7.33%), NACHO (+8.57%) and FIDELITY (+3.73%), which outweighed losses recorded in ZENITH (-0.59%), WEMA (-3.93%), and UBA (-4.98%).
Market activity was mixed, as total volume traded declined by 38.49% to 978.29mn units, while value traded increased by 9.49% to N50.16 billion.
FIDELITYBK (+3.73%) recorded the highest trading volume at 335.20mn units, while SEPLAT (+7.33%) accounted for the highest transaction value at N13.40 billion.
Market breadth remained positive at 1.28x, indicating a higher number of advancers relative to decliners, as thirty-two stocks advanced against twenty-five decliners.
CMFC (+10.00%) emerged as the session’s top gainer, while NEIMETH (-7.23%) led the losers’ chart.
The NASD OTC market also closed on a positive note, as the NASD Security Index (NSI) advanced by 0.95% to 4,432.66 points.
Market capitalisation also increased by 0.76% to N2.66 trillion, while the market’s year-to-date (YTD) return improved to 25.08% from 23.90% in the previous session.
Trading activity was mixed, as traded volume declined by 5.93% to 1.79 million units, while transaction value increased by 11.26% to N262.94 million.
A total of 43 trades were executed, representing a 104.76% increase from the previous session.
Market sentiment remained positive, with one advancer against one decliner.
SDCSCSPLC emerged as the top advancer, gaining 4.57%, while SDMASSTCOM was the sole decliner, shedding 2.86%.
Meanwhile, the naira declined marginally against the U.S. dollar, with the USD/NGN pair appreciating by 0.04% to close at ₦1,329/$.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s external reserves increased by 0.05% to $54.83 billion as of 23 September 2026, extending the recent improvement in the country’s reserve position.
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