WED OCT 21 2026-theGBJournal| Nigerian stocks advanced on Tuesday, pushing the benchmark index’s year-to-date return above 58%, as gains in industrial and consumer goods shares outweighed losses in banking and insurance stocks.
The NGX All-Share Index rose 0.26% to close at 245,911.13 points, while total market capitalisation increased by the same margin to N159.67 trillion. The year-to-date return climbed to 58.03%, from 57.62% in the previous session.
Buying interest in FCMB Group Plc, Wema Bank Plc and Oando Plc supported the market. FCMB gained 1.38%, Wema Bank rose 0.67% and Oando added 0.29%.
The advances offset declines in Access Holdings Plc, which fell 0.54%; Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, down 0.41%; Zenith Bank Plc, which shed 0.40%; and Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, down 0.25%.
Sector performance was mixed, with the industrial goods index rising 1.17% to lead gainers. Consumer goods stocks advanced 0.29%, while the oil and gas index edged up 0.01%.
Banking and insurance stocks each declined 0.15%.
Market breadth remained positive at 1.10 times, with 32 stocks advancing against 29 decliners. ABC Transport Plc led the gainers, rising 9.92%, while Livestock Feeds Plc fell 9.76% to lead losses.
Trading activity was mixed. Total volume fell 0.19% to 348.75 million shares, while transaction value surged 43.52% to N25.88 billion. The number of deals declined 24.43% to 32,639.
FCMB led trading volume with 30.12 million shares exchanged. Aradel Holdings Plc topped the value chart, with transactions worth N5.11 billion, despite closing unchanged.
Nigeria’s over-the-counter market also advanced, with the NASD Securities Index rising 0.54% to 4,355.33 points.
Market capitalisation increased 0.54% to N2.61 trillion, while the year-to-date return improved to 22.90%, from 22.24% in the previous session.
Trading activity weakened, however. Volume fell 30.92% to 985,682 units, transaction value declined 17.10% to N22.22 million, and the number of trades dropped 15.15% to 28.
SDC Securities Plc led gainers, advancing 2.79%, while SDFOODCO Plc fell 10% to lead decliners.
The naira depreciated by two basis points against the US dollar in the official foreign-exchange market, with the dollar quoted at N1,333.55.
Published official-market reference rates for Tuesday put the pound sterling at approximately N1,784 per pound and the euro at about N1,497 per euro. These are indicative reference rates rather than confirmed closing prices for the pound and euro.
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