TUES JULY 21 2026-theGBJournal| Nigerian equities began the week on a stronger footing, with gains in banking and cement stocks pushing the benchmark index to a fresh high and adding about ₦1.76 trillion to investors’ wealth, even as market breadth signalled underlying weakness.
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) All-Share Index rose 1.12 per cent to close at 246,183.96 points, while market capitalisation increased to ₦158.81 trillion, buoyed by strong buying interest in heavyweight stocks.
The rally was led by FIRSTHOLDCO, which gained 9.95 per cent, BUA Cement, up 9.98 per cent, and FCMB Group, which advanced 9.26 per cent.
Their gains more than offset declines in Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals, down 6.11 per cent, Abbey Mortgage Bank, which lost 9.00 per cent, and Tripple Gee & Company, which fell 9.77 per cent.
Investor participation strengthened during the session, with total traded volume rising 24.17 per cent to 851.63 million shares, while the value of transactions climbed 16.19 per cent to ₦49.59 billion.
FIRSTHOLDCO dominated market activity, accounting for both the highest traded volume and value after investors exchanged 203.94 million shares worth ₦21.52 billion, underscoring sustained interest in the banking sector.
Despite the benchmark’s advance, market internals were less supportive. Market breadth closed at 0.97x, reflecting that losers marginally outnumbered gainers.
A total of 32 stocks declined, led by SUNU Assurances, which shed 10.00 per cent, while 31 stocks advanced, with Custodian Investment Plc topping the gainers’ chart after rising 10.00 per cent.
The over-the-counter market also posted gains, with the NASD Security Index (NSI) advancing 0.52 per cent to 4,343.27 points, lifting market capitalisation to ₦2.60 trillion. The performance pushed the market’s year-to-date return to 22.56 per cent.
Trading activity on the NASD strengthened sharply. Volume traded surged 6,663.34 per cent to 52.55 million units, while the value of transactions jumped 200.95 per cent to ₦191.21 million. A total of 28 trades were executed during the session.
Performance in the OTC market was supported by an 8.57 per cent gain in SDMASSTCOM, the session’s top performer, while SDGEFLUID led the decliners after falling 10.39 per cent.
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