THUR OCT 15 2026-theGBJournal| Nigeria’s equities market edged higher on Thursday, with the benchmark index rising marginally as gains in oil and gas and banking stocks offset losses in some consumer-facing companies, following the release of September inflation data.
The Nigerian Exchange’s All-Share Index rose 0.01% to 247,707.13 points, supported by Aradel Holdings, which gained 7.1%, International Breweries, up 4.7%, and modest advances in First HoldCo and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.
The marginal advance left the market’s month-to-date return at -1.4%, while its year-to-date gain stood at 59.2%. Market capitalisation increased 0.01% to N160.83 trillion.
Nigeria’s headline inflation eased to 14.63% year-on-year in September from 15.39% in August, while monthly inflation slowed sharply to 0.06% from 0.71%, offering a measure of relief from persistent price pressures.
The market’s muted response suggests investors remain cautious despite the improvement in inflation, with the marginal rise in the benchmark index pointing to limited broad-based buying interest.
Trading activity on the exchange weakened, with total volume falling 8.9% to 286.76 million shares valued at N15.31 billion across 30,247 deals. United Bank for Africa led trading by volume, with 36.37 million shares exchanged, while Guaranty Trust Holding Company topped turnover at N2.44 billion.
Sectoral performance was broadly positive. The oil and gas index gained 2.6%, banking stocks rose 0.2% and consumer goods advanced 0.1%.
Insurance shares fell 0.2%, while industrial goods stocks were unchanged.
Market breadth remained positive, with 26 stocks advancing against 24 decliners.
Multitrex and Zichis International each gained 10%, the session’s strongest performances, while Enamelware Industries fell 10% and NASCON Allied Industries lost 9.5%.
Outside the main exchange, the NASD over-the-counter market was flat, with its securities index unchanged at 4,347.01 points and market capitalisation holding at N2.61 trillion.
The index’s year-to-date return remained at 22.67%.
NASD trading volume surged 295.15% to 2.02 million units, but traded value fell 33.73% to N25.81 million.
The number of transactions declined 61.54% to 10. There were no gainers, while SDAFRILAND was the sole decliner, shedding 0.55%.
In the foreign exchange market, the official naira rate strengthened marginally by 0.01% to N1,332.66 per dollar.
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